The Library of Juggling: Preserving the Art of Juggling Patterns

The Library of Juggling represents a unique digital preservation effort in the world of performance arts. While juggling has grown in popularity over the decades, there has been a surprising lack of centralized resources dedicated to documenting the vast array of patterns and tricks that jugglers have developed. This website aims to fill that gap by creating a comprehensive, organized repository of juggling knowledge.

The project's scope is ambitious: to catalog both well-known and obscure juggling patterns in one accessible location. While most jugglers can identify classic patterns like the Cascade and Shower, many are unfamiliar with more complex or specialized tricks such as Romeo's Revenge or the 531 Mills Mess. The Library seeks to ensure these patterns, along with countless others circulating through the juggling community, are properly documented, animated, and preserved for future generations.

Each entry in the Library follows a consistent format designed to provide maximum utility to jugglers of all skill levels. Every trick includes an animated representation created using JugglingLab, a powerful juggling pattern animator. Alongside these visual demonstrations, users can find essential information about each pattern, including its siteswap notation, difficulty rating, and prerequisite tricks needed to master the pattern. This structured approach makes it easy for jugglers to understand the relationships between different tricks and plan their learning progression.

The Library goes beyond simple documentation by offering practical learning resources. For patterns that the site's creator can successfully perform, detailed text-based tutorials are provided, enhanced with animations to clarify complex movements. Additionally, the site aggregates external resources, linking to YouTube videos, private tutorials, and other online demonstrations. This comprehensive approach ensures that whether a juggler prefers written instructions, visual demonstrations, or video tutorials, they can find a learning method that suits their style.

For beginners, the Library recommends starting with the Three Ball Cascade, the foundational pattern for most juggling tricks. More experienced jugglers can navigate the extensive collection through the site's navigation tree or by browsing patterns organized by difficulty level. This tiered approach makes the Library accessible to everyone from complete novices to seasoned professionals looking to expand their repertoire.

The site maintains a log of recent additions, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to expanding the collection. Recent updates have included patterns like Crossed-Arm Shower, Reverse Crossed-Arm Shower, Frostbite (submitted by community member Andrew Olson), Ripley's Rainbow, and Zebra Factory. This community involvement highlights how the Library serves not just as a static archive but as a living document of the juggling community's collective knowledge.

However, users should note that the Library is currently on an indefinite hiatus, meaning no new tricks will be added to the collection. Despite this pause in active development, the existing content remains available and continues to serve as a valuable resource for the juggling community. The decision to maintain the site's content, even without new additions, reflects the project's success in creating a lasting repository of juggling knowledge.

The Library of Juggling stands as a testament to the importance of preserving specialized knowledge in the digital age. By documenting and animating juggling patterns that might otherwise be lost to time, the project ensures that this unique art form continues to evolve while maintaining a connection to its rich history. For jugglers seeking to learn new patterns, understand the relationships between different tricks, or simply explore the vast world of juggling, the Library remains an invaluable resource that bridges the gap between tradition and technology.