Q: Where can I locate information on veganism/animal rights/vegan cooking/etc?

Another alternative answer to this same question.

You can order "starter kits" completely free from many of the AR or veg*n societies, just google "free vegan starter kit" and many will appear.

There's also loads of information on these subjects that you can get from the internet, again, just google whatever it is you're looking for and at least a few suggestions for reading will appear in most cases. Sometimes it's good to talk with fellow vegans, and since we can be difficult to find IRL the best way to contact us is to join an online discussion forum for advice and support.

I agree the best way to learn how to cook is to invest in a good vegan cookbook, but if you can't afford one atm, there are plenty online vegan recipe sites to choose from, try googling "vegan recipe" and maybe a food you'd like to use, ie "lentils." Just be aware that published cookbooks are far more likely to have tried and trusted recipes that work than some random thing posted on the internets!

Again, many AR and vegan groups sell little recipe booklets fairly cheaply if your budget doesn't stretch to a whole book right now.

If you're in the UK, you can also request books from your local library for a small fee(pennies).

Where can I locate information on veganism/animal rights/vegan cooking/etc?

Now I don't want to disagree with the resident librarian, but I am going to.

I live in a small, sort of redneck-y town in NE Wisconsin. I went on Amazon to find a cookbook. I never thought about the library for some reason. Amazon will often recommend books based on past selections, so this led me to find more and more cookbooks and AR books.

I kept buying books and realized that I was spending quite a bit of cashola. So then, I thought: library. So I went to my local library and did a search on words like; vegan, veganism, animal rights, and I even tried vegetarianism. My library had SIX books. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Three of these were anti-animal rights hunting publications. I had the feeling I was barking up the wrong tree.

From there I decided to try the local colleges. My luck wasn't much better and I would have to pay a fairly hefty fee to be a "friend of the library". To top it off, neither of the schools were in a convenient location.

So whats a vegan girl in a cheese laden town to do? Well, I ration my book purchases. I really only allow myself to buy two a month. Really, I can't read much more than that.

Another option is to create wish lists. Amazon started this process but now most online companies have this option. You can go to the company and start a list of the books/videos/items you desire. Then when Aunt Edna says she has no idea what to get you for your birthday/wedding/insert holiday here, you can direct her to said website to purchase directly off your personalized wish list.

Lastly, if you know enough vegans with an interest, start a book club. That way you can all share your knowledge, make friends, and good vegan food. No one loses in that situation!

Where can I locate information on veganism/animal rights/vegan cooking/etc?

A: Go to the library!

As the resident librarian I can’t stress enough the importance of checking out your local library. If you are undecided on purchasing a particular item, see if your library has a copy or if they can request the item through inter-library loan. Most libraries belong to a state or regional consortia where they share resources among member libraries. Some well-to-do libraries will just purchase a title if it’s requested often enough.

Visit your library’s website and their respective catalog to see what items are available. Better yet, search and/or install the Worldcat browser toolbar. Hundreds of thousands of libraries use Worldcat to catalog their materials. Subsequently, you can search the catalogs of all of these libraries and see if an item is available near you.

Libraries are big on statistics. If they notice a spike in interest in a particular topic or subject matter they will order relevant materials. They determine this ‘spike’ through circulation statistics, so every time a patron requests or checks out an item these trends are recorded. If you pull an item from the shelf but leave it on the reading table they also record in-house usage, so pull out the vegan books and leave them on the tables! This also exposes patrons who may walk by and pick up the items.

Finally, let your local library know how they are doing. Many libraries have comment forms on their website or paper surveys in the buildings. Support your library though visiting every so often. Ask if you can display or drop off pamphlets or leaflets. Book a community room and host a monthly get-together. Many libraries and library staff are willing to accommodate; you just have to ask!