When I was a kid (like 15 or so) I acquired various data books and used to actually read them. I learned a great deal from studying these, particularly for ICs that I actually used in some circuit or other. Not only did it give specs as professionals would read and use them, but just by browsing I discovered that chips existed that I'd had no idea about.

Years ago I dumped them in a clean up and I now regret it, I had quite a collection, I was able to get a huge set from Fairchild just by writing and asking and explaining electronics was my hobby, that set cost me zero.

I'm sure most pros here had this one:



Here's the Fairchild set (Ebay picture)



How many of you still have these in your library?

 

I learned more form data books and application notes then from the University.

 

Hello,

I still have some books at hand.
Most times i look up books online.
At bitsavers there are a lot in the component archive:
https://bitsavers.org/

Bertus

 

https://www.rsp-italy.it/Electronics/Databooks/Fairchild/index.htm

btw. i don't recall last time i needed TTL or CMOS logic IC... must have been decades. i do use occasional single gate here and there...

 

I had around 10 linear feet of data books when I was an R&D Tech at HP Labs. When I left that job, my boss told me to take any that I wanted. I took TI (TTL, transistors, and power transistors), a lot of the National data books, a half dozen or so Motorola, a half dozen of Intel, a few Signetics, a few RCA, and several HP optoelectronics. Didn't use them much for about a couple decades because I switched careers. I acquired dozens more from eBay when I got serious about electronics as a hobby.

Of all of the data books I had, Fairchild was my least favorite and I don't think I took any of them.

 

I have kept all my databooks. RichardO had a very large collection and together we created an index. Sadly, he is no longer with us.

https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/my-old-data-book-collection.103693/

https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/data-book-collection.103744/

 

Many data books are available at https://bitsavers.org/components/

 

I got rid of most of my fairly extensive collection, but kept many of the ones that had good app note sections. Overall, I think I'm pretty happy with that decision. As much as I still enjoy flipping through and using a physical data sheet, I find that my first resort is an Internet search and that it has been years since I've actually used a physical data sheet. But finding good app note information online is a lot harder, largely because it is buried amongst all of the poor info-crap that is out there.

 

I have a couple of bookcases full, some going back to the 70's 80's Just about all of them free issue from various manuf.

 

I got rid of most of my fairly extensive collection, but kept many of the ones that had good app note sections. Overall, I think I'm pretty happy with that decision. As much as I still enjoy flipping through and using a physical data sheet, I find that my first resort is an Internet search and that it has been years since I've actually used a physical data sheet. But finding good app note information online is a lot harder, largely because it is buried amongst all of the poor info-crap that is out there.

I agree that the internet has massive advantages but what's missing today is the way a young curious mind could sit on the couch with the data book and just sift through, I did that many times in my teens while my Ma and sisters were chattering and watching TV.

So I learned stuff that I doubt I would have if I just used the internet as a super "lookup" table.

It was while perusing the TTL book that I first encountered terms like "tri-state" and "totem pole" and "open collector" and so on, I was like 15 or 16, still at school and school back then had close to zero electronics. My main source of info was technical/hobby magazines and they were predominantly focused on discrete transistor analog circuits back then, so that TTL data book gave me (not that I understood it deeply) insights into stuff that I simply would never have gained at the time.

 

I have a couple of bookcases full, some going back to the 70's 80's Just about all of them free issue from various manuf.

Some of these would be good in a school library, this stuff is fading away and it's a shame because kids today would learn so much from these "old" books.

 

I agree that the internet has massive advantages but what's missing today is the way a young curious mind could sit on the couch with the data book and just sift through, I did that many times in my teens while my Ma and sisters were chattering and watching TV.

I largely agree, though there is some degree of offset that the Internet brings to things that the physical data sheets and app notes lack. Just as I learned a lot by perusing the physical books, I've learned a lot by letting Internet searches lead me down whatever paths open up. It's the same, but different, so being able (and willing) to do both lets them complement each other.

 

Some of these would be good in a school library, this stuff is fading away and it's a shame because kids today would learn so much from these "old" books.

Sadly, libraries are increasingly unwilling to take them. They are usually in an even more aggressive pruning stage than most of us and are converting large areas of their space into uses other than repositories of physical media. There are several libraries around here where you have to do a bit of searching just to find where they actually have books!

 

My same experience W.
My city’s public library has steadily decreased the amount of books it owns.
When I asked the reason to a librarian, she told me that fewer and fewer books are being checked out. As such the city, which like almost all cities in the USA is running a budgetary deficit, noticed an opportunity and has reduced the funding to acquire new books.
Not only that but several librarians have retired and aren’t being replaced.
Sad times indeed. Gutenberg must be rolling in his tomb.