Terminalcoffee discussion

I think most of us here love the library, so do we all love the little notes that some wicked library book borrowers leave in the margins? I like trying to decipher the handwriting and see how they're reading a particular scene or something.

My favourite message was in a copy of Lolita. It said, "I know this book gets creepy right here, but stick with it until the end. It's really good!"

And why do people write in library books?

Because they don't respect the property of others?

I read a library book recently that had extensive marking throughout. It was quite annoying, actually. At random spots in the text, someone had placed backwards check marks at the ends of sentences -- presumably to mark a place where they had stopped reading.

If someone wants to mark up a book, I think they should buy the book.

Well, I don't like reading a copy that's marked. That is annoying. I don't mind a few like, notes in the margins, but underlining and highlighting and all of that...no.

actually, I don't think I've ever seen anything deliberately written in a library book. That comment on Lolita is pretty good, though!

I don't do the library anymore because I read so slow. I am a huge fan of used books and I love finding ones with personal inscriptions written in them. I think it's a little different than what you're talking about but it gives the book more of a soul to me.

I do have one book I loved so much I wrote notes in margins and highlighted passages. I forgot about them when I loaned it to someone but he told me he got a kick out of it.

I’ve never had writing in a library book- but many times I’ve come across check marks, underlining, and quotation marks on certain passages. I always try to figure out the significance of the passage or word.

I've heard of websites that collect weird notes/artifacts from library books. I've never found anything cool in library books.

I know a few people who are afraid library books will have germs and diseases or whatever. This has never entered my mind.

I never found anything interesting written in library books, but once I did find a whole page covered in dried snot and blood in a copy of Grapes of Wrath.

I left a pay cheque in a library book once... I have NO idea why I used my pay cheque to mark my place. Luckily, the nice librarian found it and called me right away.

Esme- I always wonder what those dried substances on pages are... I try not to wonder too hard, though :)

One of the books I have out right now is in terrible condition. The binding is falling apart. I've learned from The Librarian that this book is a "weed" begging for removal.

Esme wrote: "I never found anything interesting written in library books, but once I did find a whole page covered in dried snot and blood in a copy of Grapes of Wrath."

Blech!

Really, some people have never seen writing in library books? Astonishing! I don't mind small amounts of writing, pale underlining or little check marks. What REALLY bugs me, as I have said many, many times, is food smears and debris in library books. Which I find ALL THE TIME and have occasionally cut out with scissors (never harming the actual text), which Jackie yelled at me for doing.

I'm reading this copy of Siddhartha now that I think was a discard at a sidewalk sale. There's a note inside, actually a xerox of a note. It says:

"Daddy,

For special times, like birthdays, and Christmas, we try to find things to share with people that will make them specially happy - I looked through Europe, through Oberlin, bookstores - all my little & big worlds - but all I could really think of to fit the special occasions were love & happiness & peace. No one would sell me any, and I wasn't really sure they had it, and mostly I didn't ask. So I'll keep looking, and you keep looking and we'll cross many rivers with Siddhartha, and hope, and love.

Raye
December 26, 1962"

awwwwwwww

That's funny, Dutch.

In college, we had a really terrific library with very deep holdings in all sorts of esoteric fields. It seems that in years past they had made it a policy to buy the private book collections of professors (or maybe the professors made a habit of donating their books). But often you'd find an obscure volume with the nameplate in front of long-dead professor, and then inside all of his (sometimes her) annotations, almost always made with a sharpened pencil, very rarely in pen. Some of these notes could be really deep and insightful, better than the actual text of the book. Generally, you could also find more recent student annotations, written in ballpoint. These tended to be less insightful.

I don't like the marginal marginalia, though.

After reading the library's copy, I was compelled to write a somewhat lengthy note inside Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism.

I wish I'd kept a copy or made a copy of the note, but it basically told the reader that reading this book will make you angry enough to take some kind of action. It spurred me to become more active in the kinds of corporations I'll give my business to, and shaped my already-negative feelings on the farce that is "free trade capitalism."

I like to leave notes in old textbooks. Mostly tips on studying and how not to be afraid of exams.

I don't actually have a library card. I'm not afraid of germs or anything, I just tend to buy. Used is fine. I just like to have 'em. And, I don't seem to have the time to do all of the things that I want to do as it is, trudging over to the library in the hopes they will have what I am looking for isn't going to make the schedule.

I do write in my books sometimes. Not any of my nice leather bound classics. But, if it's a crappy paperback, I write in it if I want. And, I do have a tendency to highlight sentences that really strike me for some reason. Again, only in my crappy paperbacks. I would not feel free to do any of this in a borrowed book, however.

I think I would be interested in someone else's margin comments though.

I've seen it only once or maybe twice in the college library... nothing too fun or interesting as I'm sure you all have no trouble imagining... and I do write in my own books and underline or highlight certain comments, ideas or turns of phrase that are just plain captivating or brilliant.

Welcome to TC Mark.

Jim wrote: "Welcome to TC Mark."

Thanks Jim... I have been mildly tempted to introduce myself in one of those feeds but more than mildly disinterested in writing something for one of them. Well I'm welcome anyway... but do I thank you... hmm... you know what I think I do... Thanks TC.

What did he say?

Oh I think you nailed it, Barb.

Well done Barb... although if Mark was lurking around in the shadows how did Barb know he was there? Thanks for the welcome and nice to meet you.

Welcome to the nuthouse, Mark.

Oh Lord, he talkin' 'bout himself in third person.

Larry is impressed.

Larry is overwhelmed with emotion because Barb is happy.

Glancing at his profile, Britt notices that Mark gave Spenser's brilliant Fairie Queene two stars. She inquires why.

Thanks Larry and Britt I am sorry for the whole third person thing... I hate when other people do that so do not know what I was thinking with that one.

What would those skills entail Barb?

Did the third person eat your berries, Stephanie?

Yeah, Mark did and he found them delicious.

You're a vision at night?

Perhaps, I am... perhaps we all are... how else would we know what to look for. The lurker would need to be able to see in relative darkness to of course.

I'm smiling in class right now 'cause I'm thinking about Michele's variety of lurking. Which is the best kind.

Writing in or defacing library books in any way is almost sacrilegious IMO. I've rarely come across it, though. I do, however, like finding old notes and photos and bookmarks in used books I buy.

Not a light in the darkness, but rather a darkness in the light, a whispering shadow hidden from the moon or days light.

stephanie clarisse wrote: "In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight
Let those who worship evil's might,
Beware my power... Green Lantern's light!"

You know, I never even though of that... well done, Stephanie. Oh... and hello of course.

I just tried to 'friend' the welcome wagon's passengers and found out that I have reached my daily limit. That was an... interesting... surprise.

stephanie clarisse wrote: "my berriesssss... they are all sad and withered!
"

Sorry to hear that Stephanie.

TWHS?

No we most firmly do not.

What is a TWHS thread? I could guess but I'd want to be wrong.

That's What He Said.

That's What He Said Firmly!

That's what I thought it was and unfortunately I do have to admit that I had one earlier about eating someone's berries and finding them to be delicious...

That Stephanie had some wilted berries I believe.

Indeed she did... and a third person ate them.

They are indeed better when they're plumper and juicy