CEF Reading Room
A circular system for building a living photography library
Located within the Centro de Experimentação da Fotografia (CEF) and the Casa Museu Jaime Umbelino, the CEF Reading Room is a growing collection of photobooks, artist publications, exhibition catalogues, and visual culture resources built through participation, exchange, and shared knowledge.
Inspired by the educational and cultural legacy of Jaime Umbelino, writer, linguist, educator, and lifelong advocate for learning, the Reading Room celebrates the idea that knowledge becomes more valuable when it is shared.
At CEF, we believe collecting is not about ownership alone, but about circulation, access, discovery, and community.
There is a simple idea that guides this initiative:
A thousand books make a library.
Through exchanges, donations, partnerships, and community contributions, we are building a living photography library that continues to grow with every book that passes through its shelves.
A circular ecosystem
The CEF Reading Room is built around a simple circular model that connects people, books, photographs, and ideas.
Photobook Exchanges
During F/262 and selected CEF events, participants are invited to bring photobooks and photography-related publications to exchange directly with other participants.
These exchanges create a non-monetary circulation of knowledge, inspiration, and creative work.
Prints for Books
Through ongoing initiatives, photographic prints may be exchanged for photobooks, creating a meaningful system of cultural reciprocity that supports both artists and the continued growth of the collection.
Building the Collection
Books acquired through exchanges, donations, partnerships, and contributions become part of the CEF Reading Room, helping to create a growing archive that reflects contemporary photography and the community that surrounds it.
How It Works
• Bring a photobook or photography publication
• Exchange directly with other participants or contribute to the collection
• Donate books to support the Reading Room
• Participate in print-for-book exchanges
• Explore and enjoy the growing collection
• Become part of a community of photographers, artists, students, researchers, and book lovers
Why It Matters
The CEF Reading Room is more than a collection of books.
It is a community-driven resource that:
• Extends the life cycle of publications
• Encourages sharing and reuse
• Supports photographers, publishers, and independent creators
• Increases access to photographic culture
• Promotes learning and research
• Preserves visual knowledge for future generations
• Creates a lasting cultural resource for the region
Each book carries not only its content, but also the trace of its journey.
Every exchange adds another layer to the story.
A Legacy of Knowledge
The Reading Room reflects the values that inspired the creation of the Casa Museu Jaime Umbelino.
As a writer, educator, and advocate for culture, Jaime Umbelino believed in the importance of learning, curiosity, and public access to knowledge.
By bringing together books, photography, education, and community, the CEF Reading Room continues that legacy while supporting the mission of the Centro de Experimentação da Fotografia.
Preserving the Past. Experimenting with the Future.
A Library in the Making
The CEF Reading Room is never finished.
It grows through relationships.
Through exchanges.
Through donations.
Through books passed from one reader to another.
Through prints exchanged for publications.
Through conversations sparked by images and ideas.
Built book by book, shelf by shelf, it is becoming a living archive shaped by its community.
The CEF Reading Room belongs to everyone who contributes to it.
Be part of it.
English (UK)