It's a slim volume, but one that is bursting with life. There are no words, but you can read a lot into the 40 photos. The book is "A Social Event Archive: Volume 3," with photo selections and an essay by David Robbins.

The book is the third installment in a project, The Social Event Archive, created and maintained by Milwaukee artist Paul Druecke. Four years ago, Druecke began asking people to donate a snapshot from their photo albums to the archive.

Now with about 600 photos, the ongoing Social Event Archive unites images never intended to be associated with one another. The books collect some of the photos, which illuminate everyday life.

We recently asked Druecke about the project. Here's what he had to say.

OMC: How did you arrive at the idea of going door-to-door to collect snapshots? What were you hoping to find?

PD: These photographs document society in all of its drama, humor, banality, preciousness, weirdness and weird sameness. The medium is very democratic; accessible to everyone. Given that, I wanted to get everyone involved, or at least, let everyone know they are invited to participate. Of course, that's impossible, but how to get started? I began by going door-to-door in Milwaukee neighborhoods.

I know that people have these photos. I hope that people will take time to think about the project, and that this compels to them to contribute a photo. After visiting 200 plus houses, I had 20 photographs. Not a glamorous percentage, and yet, I didn't expect any more than that.

OMC: The project has been around now for almost four years, but were you successful from the outset? Were people eager to give you photographs or skeptical of your motives?

PD: I am always scheming for new ways to spread the invitation to contribute. It is then up to the public.

Besides a close circle of family and friends, it has never been easy to get photos. Even though people love the project -- they love the project and they love the idea -- but that doesn't always equal a contribution. I just recently figured out, that the most thoughtful people, (those most likely to contribute), take forever deciding which one photo to give.

So, it is a slow process, with lots of reminding. Let me be clear, everyone is invited to participate, but the project is not about quantity. The act of deciding on a photo, and sending it to me, this individual moment is the fuel of the project.