Loompanics
A collection of 140 books published by Loompanics Unlimited, a company known for its unconventional and sometimes controversial books on a variety of topics.
Initiator(s)
Bik van der Pol
Description
The project includes a selection of 140 books from Loompanics Unlimited publishers, Washington. Out of business since 2006, this publishing house had for decades published manuals that ‘your mother and the state would rather you didn’t read’. Subjects varied from practical handbooks on ‘How to Develop a Low- Cost Family Food- Storage System’ to less generally acceptable publications as ‘Gourmet Cannabis Cookery’ and controversial self-help books as ‘How to Start Your Own Country’, ‘Homemade Guns and Homemade Arms’, or ‘How to Clear Your Adult and Juvenile Criminal Records’. Users are invited to read the publications and make copies of the manuals, meaning they can follow instructions and realise projects on their own.
Goals
To allow users free access to material, bypassing reproduction rights and encouraging them to use the manuals themselves.
Beneficial outcomes
Users gain free access to Loompanics publications
Location
The Netherlands
Users
Bik van der Pol, readers of Loompanics publications and users of the museum
Duration
2001- ongoing
Category
Scientific
Pedagogical
Politics
Urban Development
Economy
Environment
Social
