Got into it with a librarian about marking up margins

I posted in a book group about how I tab and write notes in my old paperbacks from garage sales, and a retired librarian went off on me saying it 'destroys the integrity of the text.' But like, I found a 1978 copy of Dune for 50 cents and the previous owner had underlined all the spice scenes, which actually made it way more fun to read. Does anyone else think writing in cheap old books is totally fine, or should we leave them untouched for the next person?

1 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

1 Comment

cora_martinez2mo ago

My buddy found a signed first edition of Vonnegut at a thrift store and the previous owner had drawn mustaches on every author photo, which I think actually adds to the whole chaotic vibe of the book. He still reads it out loud to friends just to show off the drawings. So yeah, some books are meant to be lived in.

5