Re: Conlang Library (was Re: Doing a research paper...)

Balazs Sudar wrote:


>"E. Naeher" <enaeher@...> 2002.10.03. 14:06:37 -4h-kor írta:
>
>> This question got me thinking about the desirability and feasibility of
>> creating a central library/archives for conlang materials.  I know there
are
>> quite a few people out there who have printed grammars and so on, as well
as
>> the larger group-administered languages (Lojban, etc.)  Many of these
>> probably don't stay in print for very long, and the few copies that are
>> printed end up scattered hither and yon.  And, of course, there are
probably
>> countless conlangers' notes that are lost when they lose interest in a
>> particular language, or conlanging in general.
>>
>> Would anyone donate printed matter, or mss. or copies of mss., to such a
>> repository if it existed and were publicly accessible?  Printed volumes
>> could be borrowed by mail, and copies of mss. material made available.
It
>> seems to me that this would help preserve a good deal of often-ephemeral
>> conlang material that would otherwise be lost (but maybe that's just
because
>> I'm a library geek).
>>
>> --Eli
>
>I think the idea is good, though I don't know how could it be realised. Not
the collecting is the great problem I think, but borrowing. Who will pay the
price of posting the borrowed papers from say England to Australia??? Or if
it's the cost of the one interested in the thing, who could afford to borrow
papers like this?
>It could be made by sending mails (if you make an internet-library), but
who has the time to organize that all?
>
>Excuse me for being so negative, just wanted to show the other side.
Anyway - if someone can realise it - I would love the idea!


It _is_ a good idea, but as you realistically point out, there are problems.
Hmm, a thought-- perhaps a future edition of the Conlang Journal should be
devoted to our various concepts of, approaches to, conlanging. (And the idea
is lurking in the back of my mind that a _real_ book on the subject, perhaps
by a one or a committee of us???? might even  be feasible.  Why should that
Yaguello book be the only game in town?)  Another suggestion-- along with
the FAQ, there should be someplace where everyone's website is listed, with
new ones added routinely.....by someone.
Is it permitted to post files to the Yahoo site?

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