I am cross

If you borrow a book you should not mark it and you should remember to return it. I sued to keep post it notes on my filing cabinet every time I lent a book and put a note in my diary for when the person said they would return it. It was not a fool proof system and I lost some.

I was brought up not to mark my own books. I now regret that as I have found it useful over a life time to know when I first read it. Now I mark my own books an highlight them if I wish.

I agree with you. I value books and dislike any damage. Anyone who cracks the spine of a book, licks pages, turns corners, uses as a coaster or a fly swatter should lose the great privledge and happiness of owning books.

I stopped lending books awhile ago, people either took ages to read them or they just forget to return them altogether . I don't know why I use to feel so awkward asking if they had finished said book & could they please return it, even then I didn't always get them I back! And yet I still felt uncomfortable asking !They never seemed at all bothered or embarrassed ,guess if they were real bookworms they wouldn't be borrowing from others.

"licks pages" ❓

I haven't come across that one before.

If someone lends me a book I will of course do my utmost to return it to them in the same condition as it was when it was lent.

But my own books are treated as 'tools'—useful objects, not just for their contents. If the contents are their best part I'll keep a book in the best possible condition that is commensurate with its being read comfortably (if that means cracking the spine so that I can hold the book without making my arthritic fingers hurt, so be it because that's a badly made book). I now have a couple of gadgets called "EasyRead" that hold books open. I've also used clothes pegs.

are its best part

I hate the people who leave a mark at the back of a library book , some books have multiple marks , and I have been known to Tipex them out .

But why, Floradora9? I don’t mark library books (I hasten to add!), but I can understand that it’s helpful to some people and it doesn’t do any harm.

I never want books returned so don't have to worry what happens to them. Library books with crumbs and cat hairs, smelling of cigarette smoke- yuk!

I couldn't afford all the books I read 123kitty if I didn't use a library. It's such a good resource for many people, don't knock it.

I'm not precious my books which are mainly paperbacks. I'm careful about lending books though simply because I have a lot of book series. I do reread books so I want the series kept complete. I don't borrow a book if the owner is fussy about their books. I did have a massive clear out about two years ago gave the books I knew I would never read again to charity.

I don't turn over corners, but I don't try to keep the spine pristine. I like the look of books having been read. It's what they are for after all.

gmelon All those library books I and probably most other GNrs have read over the last 65 yrs and how many bugs have got one off them. I must be a miracle !

I've never thought about that before. I do try to remember not to read the magazines in the doctor's surgery or the hospital but sometimes I forget (I'm a sucker for the Reader's Digest ).

Wilma, our local practice stopped having magazines in the waiting room during the swine flu epidemic about 7 years ago and never re-started. I usually pick up a newspaper on the way to the surgery. The dentist has never had such qualms about shared Reader's Digests.