Considering the popularity of the Kindle – we still feel guilty about owning one – it’s no surprise that libraries are in such a hurry to leave. In fact, the photography library that set up shop at the Piramal Art Gallery, NCPA this past weekend, will be gone before you can say “Instagram”.

So click your heels over to this temp bibliotheque that, along with a photo exhibit, were launched to celebrate World Photography Day on August 19. Here you’ll find pictures by celebrated Indian photographers like S Paul, Homai Vyarawalla, Raghubir Dixit and more, along with ancient antique cameras with a mock setup of a dark room. Development plan?

Every Click in the Book

And alongside this exhibition, there’s an open, free library featuring a variety of books on the subject. Curated by Mulchand Dedhia, who co-heads Mumbai Weekend Shoots and Photo Corner, a photography education firm, the library is his personal collection of 200 odd tomes. There are recent issues of local and international photography magazines and books that you’re not likely to find at stores in the city. There’s On Photography by Susan Sontag, Sebastiao Salgado’s Workers and one on Man Ray’s nudes, to list a few.

Mulchand himself recommends two favourites: “Steve McCurry’s Monsoon that will inspire you to go out of your way and capture the colourful images this season has to offer. My Name Is Charles Saatchi And I Am An Artoholic is for photographers and artists in general. It’ll give you good pointers on how to develop an artist’s mind and even convert art into a successful business.”

You can drop by at the library any time between noon and 8 pm, pick a book, grab a chair and read at your own time and speed. Special preference will be given to students working on photography projects.

But as this library prepares to leave, it might pop up at another location soon. Mulchand is planning to host more such free photo libraries across the city. One grin and tonic, please!

Getting there: Piramal Art Gallery, NCPA, Nariman Point, call 66223709, from 12 pm to 8 pm until Sunday, August 26, free.

Pssst: Have you seen bpb's list to all things photography?