how you treat books?

Question

My husband and I have an ongoing disagreement about this: I hate it when a book from the library turns out to have been "proofread and corrected" by a previous reader. I mean those times you find someone has taken it upon him/herself to correct a typo or what they think is a mistake. He thinks it is OK to do and does it himself. I would never dream of marking up a library book. Where do you stand on this?

Answer 1

I do it to my own books. NEVER a library book. Besides, how do you know that the author did really intend for it to be that way. Maybe the things you're correcting aren't actually typos.

Answer 2

I agree with you wholeheartedly. My own book is a seperate issue but one I borrow from the library to be used by other patrons is not to serve as my personal editing board.

Also, occassionally there really are typos; yet, more than likely from what you are conveying, it sounds like they are correcting dialogue and regional dialect which is probably purposefully spelled so. This indicates a lack of knowledge about literature on their part.

Never would dream of marking a library book up. Rude and disrespectful. People's personal analysis or tic marks don't belong in its margins. Let them keep a reading journal or mentally track these supposed errors if they must. Do they think other readers will aprreciate such action?

It's unbelievable that some people don't actually know better.

Answer 3

I would never mark in a library book, or a book that I own either for that matter. Text books are the only thing that I write in and I always feel like I'm ruining something valuable when I do, but I have some professors who require you to highlight while you read. I love library books and rent them out all the time, but I hate it when other people have marked things in them or done anything harmful to them in any way.

Answer 4

I never mark books, be they my own or from the library. I try my hardest not to crack the spine of paperbacks that I buy and I will never dog-ear the pages. I hate reading a library book that has evidence that someone else read it! I like to think that I'm the first person to discover the world inside the book.

Answer 5

Well, I wouldn't write my critique in all over the book, but I might be tempted to leave a pencil mark once or twice; a little ghost of myself. Especially if might inspire a smirk or giggle. That's the beauty of sharing books through the library. You can makes notes all over books in your own library at home but no one will see them. Its the same reason people ask questions here rather than look them up on Yahoo or Google. We want to reach out and touch someone, even if the means are very, very naughty and might cost us our library card.

Answer 6

I've never 'proofread and corrected' the books I borrow from the libraries since, I think, they belong to the public for everyone to borrow to read and enjoy. It's simply not my duty. However, I always correct misspelled words in my books and mark anywhere I think it would help me later when I reread them, for instance, for any quick reference which I need to know where I've marked with a correct mark or underlined or posted a question mark (when in doubt or that part needs verifying in other reliable references).

Answer 7

I mark up my own books all the time (including my text books which I sell back). I don't mind other people marking up books that I use because I get to see what others thought of what I'm reading.
however, I could see how that would be annoying to others and I don't think anyone has the right to mark up a book that isn't theirs. So you have a right to be upset.

Answer 8

I never do that. I love and respect books, whether they are mine or the librarys. I hate that. If someone spills coffee or something on a book, that's disgraceful. Books are meant to be shared and loved.

Answer 9

I would never write in a book! I love them and would never deface them. Especally a library book, thats just a nono

Answer 10

i agree. if it's not ur's don't mess w/ it.