A 25-cent bookmark note flipped my stance on writing in margins

I used to cringe whenever someone highlighted or scribbled in a used book, thought it ruined the value, you know? Then last Saturday at the Goodwill on 4th Street I grabbed a $2 copy of a 1971 field guide and found a tiny bookmark, actually a receipt, with a note on the back that said 'p. 114 has the mushroom sketch Dad wanted.' That little personal pointer made me realize those marks are just breadcrumbs from a stranger's life, not damage. Now I actually hunt for books with margin notes, the more specific the better. Has anyone else warmed up to penciled-in observations after seeing one that felt like a message aimed at you?

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jason732mo ago

Man that is such a cool way to look at it! I actually heard a librarian on the radio a few weeks back talking about how her favorite books in the whole library are the ones people left notes in, she said it was like finding little time capsules. That stuck with me because I used to be exactly like you, I wouldnt even buy a used book if it had a single crease in the spine. But now I get it, those margin scribbles are kinda like a conversation with someone youll never meet. I found a copy of a sci-fi novel once where someone had written "this is the good part" next to a page, and I swear I stopped skipping ahead just to see what they meant. Its weird how a strangers little note can make a book feel more personal than a brand new one ever could.

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