It really depends so much on where you want to start and what you know already. For books, I like the Sam's Teach Yourself books. They offer a pretty broad overview with a step by step approach. If you know nothing about databases they cover that as well and you can jump in at a mid-point if you know more. I would recommend that you narrow things down a bit to start with if you haven't already:
1. Database you want to use (Mysql, Oracle, etc.)
2. Read about database structures either online (Yes, Google again) or in a book
3. Understand database design concepts (this might be the most critical). My experience is that until I really "got" how to design a data structure to fit my needs I was just monkeying around. Once you understand what the database will look like and how it will interact the actual work is pretty basic.
After you have an idea of what you want to use and a rough plan of what you want it to look like, you can target communities and people who use those tools and applications. You will find that there are a ton of helpful people who are willing to assist. If you don't get an idea of what you want to use, structures and design firmed out in your head first these same people can be pretty unhelpful. Again, just my experience. It's fun stuff, good luck.