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I love leaving notes in my books. I believe that reading is inherently a social act (the best kind for introverts!) as we commune with the readers who have gone before us--and after us.

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So interesting! It brought to mind the old days when library books contained cards with names of the people who borrowed the book before you. I miss those. It made you wonder about those previous readers. Did they like the book? What were they like? You really have to wonder about the monks and scribes who left doodles. What were they thinking of?

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So interesting! It brought to mind the old days when library books contained cards with names of the people who borrowed the book before you. I miss those. It made you wonder about those previous readers. Did they like the book? What were they like? You really have to wonder about the monks and scribes who left doodles. What were they thinking of?

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I used to never write in my books, it used to horrify me, but about 5 years ago I started annotating classics that I was reading, and now I lightly annotate most of the books that I read, especially ones that I reread often. There's something very special about the layers of annotations from previous years in my life, seeing what resonated with me then and if my opinions on any characters or plot points have changed. I leave little jokes for myself to find the next time I read through, and it feels like I'm in conversation not only with the text, but also with my past and future selves. My heavily annotated copy of Lord of the Rings is one of my most prized possessions.

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I have grown accustomed to marking up text (from articles that I've printed out or books that I own) that I am reading, but avoid doing so in library books. I am always fascinated, however, when I come upon marginalia in library books. One of my favorite poems is called "Marginalia" by Billy Collins  

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I have grown accustomed to marking up text (from articles that I've printed out or books that I own) that I am reading, but avoid doing so in library books. I am always fascinated, however, when I come upon marginalia in library books. One of my favorite poems is called "Marginalia" by Billy Collins  

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https://soundcloud.com/brainpicker/billy-collins-reads-marginalia

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Marginalia by Billy Collins | Poetry Magazine

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February 1996 | Wendy Battin, David Bottoms, John Brehm, T. Broughton, Billy Collins, Marisa De Los Santos, John Dickson, Gregory Djanikian, Nick Drake, Stephen Dunn, Caroline Finkelstein, Sandra Gilbert, Susan Hahn, Lynne Knight, Peter Meinke, Reynolds Price, William Ramsey, Clare Rossini, Philip...

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As a longtime library employee, I have discovered many delightful mementos in circulating books. One of my all-time favorites is an unsent teen fan letter to Mark Wahlberg!

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I was a kid who always checked out lots of books at the library, especially when I was out of school for the summer reading program. I never left any marks in public library books because I felt like they needed to be shared by other people and didn't want to destroy anything or inhibit someone else's reading experience. On the other hand, it was fun just seeing something simple as a previous library loan receipt to see what a previous reader was also reading at the time. I occasionally left mine folded and tucked away in a page somewhere in the middle for the next reader or librarian to peak at what I was also engaging with at the time!

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In my print book collection, I purchase copies of book that I originally read digitally and really enjoyed reading! Someday I would like to purchase a customized book embosser to stamp my books to mark them with my name! The image shows how it creates a raised print on the page, with this one reading “From the library of (name)” with a leaf-like illustration below the name. There’s some kind of nostalgia that I’d like to pass on to my future family or anyone who comes across my books to know the kind of connection I have with it and document my reading interests that would otherwise might be lost if I only kept records digitally!

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As much time as I spend reading, I almost never write or leave anything in my books. If it's an assigned reading I will sometimes write notes, usually in pencil, inside the front or back covers, as well as marginalia and notes or questions within the text. I always feel a bit guilty as I do it. And also insecure about if my comments are smart or accurate or not. At the same time, I love finding things inside library books, notes, receipts, packaging. It all tells a story and I always want to know more!