Joel Hooks - Posted - 09/09/2025:  06:56:22

This is my periodic PSA to let people know about the Internet Archive.

Currently, I have uploaded (most scanned by me) over 1800 banjo instruction books, banjo sheet music (yes, there are "notes on the banjo"), catalogs, handwritten banjo manuscript, ephemera, &c., all for free download.

There are also a few guitar and harmonica related books.

These are all FREE and all in the Public Domain! Do not buy collections of these from ebay or etsy!!

This is "your" banjo music. These are "your" instruciton books (by the way, these work just fine for learning to play banjo-- some better than others, but all are useful).

This number will continue to grow as I get time to scan.

Link to my uploads:

archive.org/details/@joel_hooks

OldFrets - Posted - 09/09/2025:  07:00:03

For a split second I got stuck on "Free Banjo" but this is still awesome. Thanks!

localhost - Posted - 09/09/2025:  07:03:55

I had no idea, and now I know. Thank you for your hard work in preservation and sharing!

NNYJoe - Posted - 09/09/2025:  07:17:47

Outstanding! Many thanks.

mikehalloran - Posted - 09/09/2025:  09:25:09

Nice!

trapdoor2 - Posted - 09/09/2025:  11:37:32

It's a brave new world out there for Classic banjo. Used to be, this stuff was hoarded like gold by players and collectors.



Now, I think we've convinced many of them to let their hoards go, let the music be played!

Edited by - trapdoor2 on 09/09/2025 11:38:20

mrbook - Posted - 09/09/2025:  13:24:53

Excellent! Thank you.

cebracher - Posted - 09/09/2025:  13:28:54

This is FANTASTIC, thank you!!

The AllFrets and American Banjo Museum organizations have similar collections that they make available. Plus they also own some truly amazing items as well.

Last month at the AllFrets Convention in Oklahoma City, I visited the Banjo Museum and got to "meet" Harry Reser. What I mean by "meet" is that I had the opportunity to hold the container with his cremated remains and read the death certificate for Harrison Reser.

For a tenor player, that a brush with golden era greatness I wouldn't normally get to experience.

Chris

mb4me - Posted - 09/09/2025:  17:43:18

Thank you!