Book care

[01000011]

So, after some recent events on lending a book out and receiving it back in a rather poor state, I've been wondering

How much do you guys care about your books?

Personally I try to keep my books as nice as possible, although if it's one I use a lot, I am sometimes known to crack the spine a little to keep the book open on a page whilst I research or whatever, but generally I use sticky notes or bookmarks.

I used to think that everyone did this to be honest, because it's how I've always been brought up to look after books, and most of my friends do the same. Thing is, I lent out my favourite book, Quantum theory cannot hurt you (By Marcus Chown, worth a read), and they had it for about 7 months, and when I got it back, a 3rd of it had crinkled pages (Like they'd dropped it in water?), a bent spine (From leaving it open on the page upside down for 3 months) and bite marks around the outside.

I was sad T_T

[the_stabbage]

I try to take care of my books. Since most of mine are used, I try not to worsen the condition they're in. Occasionally, I write some things in the margins, but in pencil, and I never crack the spine.

One of my books, paperback, was the victim of a leaky water bottle. The pages are crinkled. But, it means I can leave it open at a certain page a lot easier, if I "bend" the crinkles in the opposite direction. (Sorry, it's hard to describe).

[Adacore]

I take fairly good care of my books, but I'm not obsessive. I don't crack the spine, and I certainly don't defile books by writing in them, but I do actually, ya know, read them, sometimes a bit too carelessly. For example, when I'm reading something exciting quickly I occasionally tear pages by mistake, and when I take books with me on trips I just chuck them in my bag, which can result in some damage.

[lanicita]

I dog-ear the bottom of pages with good quotes on them, so I can go back and write the quotes in the quote-notebook that I've kept for years. I leave the ones in my own books, and try to remember to unmark library books before I return them. I never realized that dog-earring was taboo until recently, but now I pay attention when I borrow other people's books and I try not to mark them unless they say it's okay. When I borrow books from hendu he likes me to keep the pages marked so he can try and guess what quotes I liked

I hate writing in books, and I rarely do it unless I'm required to for class. But my own books are quite beat-up... they're torn, dog-eared, many are water-damaged. I like them well-loved. The messier the book, the more I loved it.

[NoodleIncident]

I'm sorry. It fits too well.



[unrelated]Why the hell am I able to remember a comic this old instantly? I'm torn between pride and disgust.[/unrelated]

[Sockmonkey]

I try not to crack the spine but it always does eventually which is a great relief because then I'm not afraid to put it down spine-up to mark my place when I have to stop for a bit. Also, no matter how clean my hands are all my favorite books get those thumb-sweat stains 2/3 from the top at the outer edge of the page.

[Jahoclave]

I believe the correct terminology is, fuck with my books and die.

[xgpt]

So, after some recent events on lending a book out and receiving it back in a rather poor state, I've been wondering

How much do you guys care about your books?

Personally I try to keep my books as nice as possible, although if it's one I use a lot, I am sometimes known to crack the spine a little to keep the book open on a page whilst I research or whatever, but generally I use sticky notes or bookmarks.

I used to think that everyone did this to be honest, because it's how I've always been brought up to look after books, and most of my friends do the same. Thing is, I lent out my favourite book, Quantum theory cannot hurt you (By Marcus Chown, worth a read), and they had it for about 7 months, and when I got it back, a 3rd of it had crinkled pages (Like they'd dropped it in water?), a bent spine (From leaving it open on the page upside down for 3 months) and bite marks around the outside.

I was sad T_T

I'm guessing the OP is rethinking that friendship... I know I would

Anyway to answer the OP's question: I keep my literature in tip-top shape. Books that I might want to keep on my shelf for years to come to enjoy get treated with great respect.

If it's a technical book that's going to go out of date in <5 years, I keep it in working order, but I'll occasionally dog-ear pages and might push on the spine to keep it open. Same for textbooks in my public school days.

And things like dictionaries of my own...it's not like I can't cheaply replace them. (Not that I even use a paper dictionary anymore, but things like dictionaries get that B grade treatment.)

Although I don't think my books get wet or chewed up very often...They are almost always better quality than some used college textbooks I've seen.

[01000011]

I'm sorry. It fits too well.



[unrelated]Why the hell am I able to remember a comic this old instantly? I'm torn between pride and disgust.[/unrelated]

It's alright, the person I lent the book to reads XKCD comics too, my first response was "Did your dog get it?", my second question was "Were you re-creating that XKCD comic?". He knows people who cringe when you do the above ^ (Me sort of being one of them, I think he's planning to use this against me in the future)

I'm guessing the OP is rethinking that friendship... I know I would

The worst part is, I can't even re-think it. I lent it to my physics teacher who I'm probably going to be stuck with for the next 2 years. T_T

THE SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS ARE FINE THOUGH?!

In regards to writing in books I've been tempted once or twice to write in my quantum theory book (The one which is now wrecked anyway ), only in pencil though. I've got a copy of lord of the flies which I've written in using pen though, since it's for school and it's a God-awful book anyway

[xgpt]

I'm sorry. It fits too well.



[unrelated]Why the hell am I able to remember a comic this old instantly? I'm torn between pride and disgust.[/unrelated]

It's alright, the person I lent the book to reads XKCD comics too, my first response was "Did your dog get it?", my second question was "Were you re-creating that XKCD comic?". He knows people who cringe when you do the above ^ (Me sort of being one of them, I think he's planning to use this against me in the future)

I'm guessing the OP is rethinking that friendship... I know I would

The worst part is, I can't even re-think it. I lent it to my physics teacher who I'm probably going to be stuck with for the next 2 years. T_T

THE SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS ARE FINE THOUGH?!

In regards to writing in books I've been tempted once or twice to write in my quantum theory book (The one which is now wrecked anyway ), only in pencil though. I've got a copy of lord of the flies which I've written in using pen though, since it's for school and it's a God-awful book anyway

I don't *write* in my school textbooks. (Although throughout middle school I would write homework assignments on one of the white liner pages) and the paper they use doesn't show creases if you take the fold back out and keep the book closed.

[Dasboard]

My school books are in rather poor state when I hand them in at the end of the year but they're also in a poor state when I get them at the start of the year so I'm not sure how bad I'm for them.

On literature however and stuff I read for I'm pretty carefull ( Also my mother would kill me, she's a language teacher ). Also I found even my messiest friends to be quite reliable with books. I lend out quite a lot of books to them and always got them back in the same state as I gave them, never had a problem.

For me lending books, I never lend books. We pretty much have everything in the house ( 20 fucking Billy's from Ikea in one house ) that I want to read.

I think the answer's yes.

[SecondTalon]

So.. books that I borrow I keep in top shape, don't eat around them, and take care to not injure the spine.

Books that I on are bent, dog-eared and often have food stains on some pages. Because it's not a good book unless I couldn't put it down and got soup on it because I wasn't paying attention and trying to get to the end of the paragraph.

So.. uh.. I'm rough with them. They're paper. They'll deal.

All that said, I only have a few books with bite marks. And only one set of them are human, I think.

[Eseell]

If it's one of my favorite books then I probably have several copies of it because I destroyed the first one(s) that I owned. Bent spines? Check. Missing pages? Check. Water damage? Check. One of the reasons I don't use the library is that I am a bit too hard on books. The other is that I very frequently read books more than once. In both cases it's preferable to just buy books.

[Jorpho]

Because it's not a good book unless I couldn't put it down and got soup on it because I wasn't paying attention and trying to get to the end of the paragraph.

Some would respond that the soup must not have been very good if your book was able to divert your attention from it, and that you should be eating better soup. ^_^

Someone suggested to me recently that I invest in a suitably portable book holder like http://www.leevalley.com/gifts/page.asp ... 46653&ap=1 when I commented on the struggle that is trying to hold a paperback book open while trying to eat.

Oh look, post 2500.

[GoodRudeFun]

In my opinion the value of a book is in the ideas, not the paper and cardboard.


Though If I'm borrowing a book I take care of it, otherwise, meh.

[sgchr]

Personally, I keep them close, but only the books I am really interested in and which I know I will get back to.
The others I gave away because I didn't need them anymore. However, I am more of a PDF fan nowadays...

[zwei]

i have a problem with silverfish... and blooming brown spots that find their way into the book pages because of dampness... @@ does anyone, perchance, know how to prevent either of them?

[black rook in rainy weather]

I've written thoughts and feelings into 'The Colossus' by Sylvia Plath during the first six months of owning it, and love now to read it with my old notes at the side of the poems. I've underlined pieces in a psychology book, which incidentally has been loaned out to someone for about a year and a half now... but most of my books look new and shiny, though I recently took off and threw away a dust-cover from a book cos I was rearranging stuff and the book looked better naked. Looking at my bookshelves now the only noticeable books in terms of damage are 'Jarhead' by Anthony Swofford, 'The Bell Jar' by Sylvia Plath, and 'Zodiac' by Robert Graysmith for having very crinkled spines from quite multiple readings. Looking more closely, Fight Club, The Lovely Bones, The God Delusion and Hamlet are a little crinkled, while everything else really does looks pristine. Not necessarily denoting the book usage.
Also, I have a hundred year old poetry book that I picked up in a second hand book shop which has little notes throughout, and which I love for both it's old-book-smell and it's visible history and the thought and love that was pencilled into it.

[El Spark]

My books are almost all fairly beat up, since I haven't bought any new ones in a few years (a hazard of working in a library). That said, if I loan a book to someone, I expect to get it back in the same condition (and I extend the same courtesy). Some of the ones I really love I've taken to work and had professionally covered.

My RPG books, however, are bound the same way as the ones I've had since I was 13: duct tape.

Because yaaaaaaaaaaaaay duct tape!

[01000011]

i have a problem with silverfish... and blooming brown spots that find their way into the book pages because of dampness... @@ does anyone, perchance, know how to prevent either of them?

IS THAT WHAT THAT WAS?!
On the book mentioned in 1st post, it had little brown spots, couldn't figure out what it was >_>
The only thing I can say to that is I keep all my books really dry so I've never really had that problem. Don't keep them near windows or bathrooms I guess.

[zlreitz]

i have a problem with silverfish... and blooming brown spots that find their way into the book pages because of dampness... @@ does anyone, perchance, know how to prevent either of them?

For the dampness, I would keep them with a desiccant like silica gel beads. Or, if you're a resourceful chemistry nerd like me, you can use solid sodium hydroxide drain cleaner in an open glass jar.

[Josephine]

My RPG books, however, are bound the same way as the ones I've had since I was 13: duct tape.

Because yaaaaaaaaaaaaay duct tape!

Well, yeah, large paperbacks crack if you look at them wrong. no problem with that.

I don't take much note to cracked bindings. If I'm getting up to get something, I'll flip a book over, but for longer durations I just remember my page.

I have a habit of pushing up the bottom of the page with my thumb until there's a sort of crease at a point on the book then push it back down. It's hard to describe. But a lot of my books have these weird uneven creases at the bottom of the pages.

[Izawwlgood]

As my general aversion to things 'new' and untouched, I prefer my books to be battered, spines cracked, pages folded, margin notes with interesting insights and references, and depending on which edition of the book I've been stuck with (principally, movie covers), the covers ripped off.

Most books are meant to be read, passed on, returned, read some more, left at a coffee table for a stranger to enjoy... They're disposable and the more character and unique individuality they aquire, the more interesting a read they are.

I had a copy of House of Leaves that had been read by five different people, and was full of margin notes, post its, and new references. It was almost like adding a new level to the novel, and I was always delighted when I'd sit down to read a bit, and a page or post it would fall out, a sign from the tome to explore a bit further.

Of course, if you've got signed editions or its out of print, don't read them and don't loan them out. Seal them away and resign them to the fate of 'collectors item'.

It's a gift. Never lend books.

[orinjuse]

I try to take good care of my books, but I'm the kind of person who's always carrying around a paperback in his bag and whipping it out when I'm on the train/eating lunch/waiting for someone, etc. Going in and out of my bag all the time tends to lead to bent edges and scuffed covers, unfortunately. Occasionally, one of my cats will chew on a corner too, if I leave it lying somewhere they want to sit, which is a real pain.

I almost always use bookmarks, rather than leaving them lying open. I shudder at the thought of dog-ears.

I've had a few books fall apart because I've read them so much, but since they were usually just trade or mass-market paperbacks it's no big deal to buy another copy, and it gives me a good excuse to go book shopping. I buy quite a few second-hand books as well, and paperbacks from the '80s and back can be pretty delicate, so I'm usually really careful with those.

If I get a really nice hardcover, or I've got versions with the original covers and they only print them with shitty new covers now (like Pratchetts or Tolkiens) I'll take good care of them. I'll relegate those to my bedside reading material, rather than my train reading.

Re lending books, I do it, but always with trepidation. I almost always forget who I loaned the book to, which means I've lost dozens of books that way in the past. That really annoys me, because I go looking for the book one day and can't find it, and figure I've just put it down somewhere and I'll find it eventually, so I'll never buy another copy. At least if I've read the book so much the pages are falling out, I've got the deciduous reminder there on my bookshelf that I need to get a new copy.

[Jorpho]

Someone suggested to me recently that I invest in a suitably portable book holder like http://www.leevalley.com/gifts/page.asp ... 46653&ap=1 when I commented on the struggle that is trying to hold a paperback book open while trying to eat.

I have now bought one of these and am immensely pleased with the purchase - but then, so far I've only used it with used books whose spines were in rather shoddy condition. Nonetheless, if you also do a lot of reading in restaurants, I would suggest it.

[fullmoonmidget]

My books have stories. OOTP has a page almost torn out, and a blood stain from when I was reading it for the first time at 2 am when I was 9 and I lost a tooth. GOF has a broken spine because it's defective. I leave them sitting on my nightstand, a few have learned that water is not good. The ones I love the most have white spines, and the dust covers are used as bookmarks. I get them used a lot, so they have stories from before me. I have written notes in a few of the margins and underlined quotes in Twilight. They have stories from the author to tell, but we write our own stories in them too. I'm not planning on getting rid of any of my books, and if I lend a book to a friend, they are well loved and trusted, so they won't mind my notes.

I recently procured a copy of Death Be Not Proud, and I'd like to keep it in good condition. It's well worn, but in good shape. If I ever find another one, I'll use that one as my dog eared-note ridden one.

[TheAmazingRando]

I remember one time I was reading and wanted to show a friend of mine something, so I handed the book to her. It was a paperback, and as soon as I handed it to her she bent both sides down so far it creased the spine. It wasn't a very good book, and it was just a mass-market paperback, but I haven't given her a book since.

I also really like the idea of having a collection of books that I've annotated (paperback, probably not hardcover), but I never feel like it while I'm reading, so it rarely happens.

[existentialpanda]

I wrote in some of the books we read for English when I was in high school, especially senior year, because I found it so much more convenient to have my notes on a particular passage right there next to the passage in question. It just made things easier for me. For non-school-related books, though, I try to keep in good condition. (I'm not always very good at it, but I do try.) I have one book buried somewhere, an extremely old copy of The Marvelous Land of Oz that is missing its back cover, several pages are missing corners or have long rips that are only somewhat taped up, and all the pages are yellow and feel like they would crack if I poked them the wrong way. I believe I got it at a yard sale, in pretty much the same condition except the back cover was still semi-attached. My copy of The BFG has also seen better days. But my other books, for the most part, still look relatively new.

I actually don't read physical books when I'm here at school, mostly because I don't have any that aren't related to some class or other. I do read a lot of ebooks, though. Funnily enough, they're not hard to take care of at all.

(Seriously, an e-reader is a college bookworm's best friend. I'm in love with mine.)

[Stellazira]

I try my best to take care of my books and I'm careful with books I borrow. Sitting on the shelf I probably have books that are over 80 years old... and they're still in one piece.

[Parsifal]

Sadly, I've learned by hard experience never to loan out any books that I want back in any condition, ever.

So far I'm down a damaged Neil Stephenson, two Orson Scott Cards and at least three copies of Stranger in a Strange Land. That's without counting the dozens I've let friends borrow not caring if they were ever returned or the hudnreds given to charity in the past few months...

[Nova]

Mine are mostly in rough shape from the start since I buy books used, but I try not to make them worse. I use bits of scrap paper for bookmarks, and store them on a proper shelf when they are not in use. They don't get too grimy from my hands because a few years spent working in the microbiology lab at a hog slaughterhouse taught me hand-washing habits that border on excess.

I never lend a book. I give it away. If I have already read it, then most of the words are still in my head. Should I need to refer to it again, I can go find another one with little effort.