[Publib] Damaging Books

[Backwage at aol.com]

In today's Chicago Tribune there is an article by Patrick Reardon about  
folks who add character to books by writing in them, folding back pages, and  even 
tearing out whole sections.  See:  
_www.chicagotribune.com/chi-0830bookethicsaug30,1,5269206.story?coll=chi_mezz_ 
(http://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-0830bookethicsaug30,1,5269206.story?coll=chi_mezz) 
 
I have posted before about this 
[_http://librarydust.typepad.com/library_dust/2006/07/read_only.html_ 
(http://librarydust.typepad.com/library_dust/2006/07/read_only.html) ]  and for that posting received via email some of the 
nastiest comments I  ever heard outside of a prizefight crowd.  I took them as the 
guilt  responses from folks who write in books--who to me are of the same ilk as 
those  who write on the wall of a men's room, with the exception that I don't 
go to a  restroom to find out if Heathcliff is ever going to get over 
Catherine.  
 
Mind you, I don't have anything against the proper disposal of used-up  
books; I buy thrashed books at junk sales and make greeting cards from their  
pages.  It seems that a lot of people keep their personal libraries in damp  
garages.  Mildew has killed more encyclopedias than hard use.
 
My statement on this is, if you want to scribble on something, make a  
permanent mark on the world, there's a guy in your town who will put whatever  
message or design you want on any part of your body for a fee.  Come to  think of 
it, you could even get a book printed on your back, which you could  then 
underline in your own handwriting, and put remarks in the margins,  too.
 
M. McGrorty



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