I love reading and when I start reading books that I really enjoy, I would like to just go on and on until my eyes are already tired. However, at times, there are other things that we need to do and so we just have to put down the book we are reading. When I take a break from my reading to do my other duties or before I sleep at night, I make sure that I place my bookmark on the page where I stopped so I can easily locate the page next time I decide to continue reading.
I know of some people who do not use bookmarks but instead use dog ears. Dog ears is an informal name for folding the corner of pages to mark where you are in a book, as opposed to using an actual bookmark. While generally frowned upon by those that want to preserve books in their original condition, it is particularly common in use on paperbacks which are designed to be cheaper and more harshly used than hardcovers.
I prefer using bookmarks because I make it a point to keep my books in good condition.
How about you? Do you use bookmarks? Or dog ears?
[question posted by dolce_vita78]
responses and comments:
To be honest, when I was a kid, I dogeared. I was more interested in the topic of the book than the condition I left it in. But in my late teens and twenties I spent more time in the library. I saw first hand how other s treated(or mistreated)books. I now have a collection of book marks. My husband gave me a lovely gold heart shaped one one Valentines day. My daughter has made me one in pre-school. So I am now and ever more a book marker! [ersmommy1]
I also have a collection of bookmarks too! A gold heart-shaped bookmark? For Valentines day? Wow! How sweet! [dolce_vita78]
definitely bookmarks! i hate folding down page corners because i don't like for my books to get beat up at all (be it creases or tears on the spine or the pages). even if the bookmark is nothing more than a random scrap of paper i have lying around it's better than nothing. and worst case scenario i will just do my best to remember what page i'm up to. [cifirretsbol]
Yeah! Maybe I could send you some one day. What do you think? =) [dolce_vita78]
I actually do both. On books I borrow from the library I will use a bookmark. They are not my books and I don't feel right in damaging them in that way. Books that are mine and I know I am keeping, I dog ear. Books that are mine that I will trade in a used book store I book mark. For the life of me I don't know why I just don't bookmark all the time, just of those little quirks I guess :) [kymommy72]
You are right... When we borrow books, we have the responsibility to take good care of these books. Well, not everyone knows that. Or even if they do, they simply do not care. I hate it when people borrow books or magazines from me and when they give it back, I see obvious damages. [dolce_vita78]
My answer is usually neither. I just grab a scrap of paper and call it a book mark. It costs infinitely less than a book mark. It does the same job. I can jot notes in it. [CraftyCorner]
I have bene known to do a little of both before I have folded the pages down but I really dont make it a habit because I really dont like to damage the books that I get...I like to keep the books in really good condition too because other could want to read the books and they don't want damaged books or anything like that and if you decide that you want to try and sell the books to a store or to ebay or something like that people are more willing to pay prices for things that are not damaged or something like that! [jhl930]
Bookmarks always. I have one really neat one with my son's picture, it is plastic and it was part of a special photo package from spring pictures when he was in elementary school. I transwer it to each new book, so I never loose it. If I start a new book and I don't have it with me, I'll use a business card or a scrap of paper to mark my place until I get it home. I hate dog ears because it tends to ruin the book pages. It's one of my pet peeves. (possibly from working in a book factory, and I had to sort books that came out of the binders where pages had gotten folded over, and I had to shave off the excess from the dog ear.) So it's just a peeve of mine. Also if you ever get books from the public library, they really frown on it. I buy most of my books, but I prefer to keep them as nice as possible, so I'm kind of picky. [lightningd]
It's actually pretty neat, it is out of hard plastic, like a credit card, and it has his picture and class of 2010 on it. It was some special promotion with the spring pictures his 5 grade year. (5 years ago), and I've used it that long and it's still in tip top shape. [lightningd]
sometime I use dogears to remind myself of the page ,but now I found it's not a good idea . So I begin to use bookmark by a piece of picture or a leaf .It can make the book in a good condition . [lian7er]
I always use bookmarks to mark the page that I read last. I cannot remember an instance when I dog eared a book even during those times when I cannot find a bookmark to use. What I did was to improvise, a candy wrapper, a piece of paper, a leaf... just about anything that is thin enough to use as a bookmarker. [mari_skye]
I make sure I use a book mark or a piece of paper if I need to stop reading somewhere and need to go somewhere else. I don't use dog ears because I like to keep books in a really nice condition, I would hate if my books don't look very new. Therefore, I never fold the corners of the books! [wondericequeen]
I collect books, so I would much rather use a bookmark than damage the book by dog-earing any of the pages. I do occasionally leave them upside down to hold my place, but that's usually only if I get up in the middle of reading to grab a drink and don't have a bookmark handy. Most of my bookmarks are scraps of paper and gum wrappers and the like... they work as well as real bookmarks, they don't cost anything, and I don't mind if I misplace or damage them. :) [AedonLeone]
You are right! We don't have to spend that much just to have a bookmark. We can recycle and be really creative! [dolce_vita78]
Definitely the bookmark in whatever form is handy. The teacher I admired most at primary school was the librarian, and I spent most of my years at school in the library with her, cataloging and shelving books. An avid booklover, I saw the distress it caused her when her beloved books were dogeared, and she made us Library Monitors promise we would never treat books that way! It stuck. [EmTeeBee]
i love reading books too. i think i started reading paperbacks when i was in high school and i've always used bookmarks. i used to buy bookmarks but now i do cross stich bookmarks =) [rlynzz]
I also have several cross stitch bookmarks. Some I did myself and others, given by my friends. [dolce_vita78]
yeah even i use dogears... actually u know.. ater reading ur discussion i 've decided not do tht.. and aswell its a gud habit to use a bookmark.... thanks dolce... books are gud legacy ... there is a saying "show me the kinda bok read and i'll tell u wat kinda person u are"... gud i like ur discussion... .. [princysherly]
I always treat my things very neat and clean.And as far as the books they are treasures to me.I always used the bookmarks many of them made by me. [balasri]
I know someone told me once that I shouldn't ever turn down the pages of a book, and I must have been very impressionable at the time, as I've never done it since! Or else the person was someone I treated as an authority figure - the curious part is that I can't remember who it was. Anyway, I seldom use bookmarks - at present I'm using the bus tickets I get on the way home. [mcrowl]
Although I am far too uptight to deface a book and would never dog ear a real book, sometimes when reading a magazine, I "bookmark it" by tearing out the pages that I've finished. I know that is bizarre, b ut so many times I tear out an article to save to read later or to file away for reference, that one the magazine is messed up, it is just easier to throw away pages than to bookmark. Once when I checked out a book from the library, after getting it home we found out the the previous reader had used a strip of raw bacon as a bookmark and left it in the book! Arrrghhhhhh! Another time, long ago when we were "starving studenst" I found a bus ticket to a destination 3 days away. Being a frugal tightwad and feeling like a vacation, I used it and took the bus ride. It was awesome. Much better than the bacon. [drannhh]
Before, i used to dogear the pages of my books. However, when i realized that doing dogears easily torn the pages, i already use bookmarks. I love bookmarks too and i tend to collect them. Plus, i love my books so i do not want to tore them out. I am thinking of preserving them for a very long time because i know that even when i'm gone, my books will be passed on from generations to generations. I hope to give my books to my children and grand, grandchildren when i get old. :-) SO, i would like to suggest to all mylotters out there to take care of their books by not using dogears but bookmarks instead. :-) [livvy092002]
I never dog ear a book...cheap one or not. I've always used book marks. ...I like my books to be neat. I've got books from my childhood that look like new and my husband always teases me and says that's because I never used them.....and I tell him...nope...that's because I took care of them. Even paperbacks...book marks is the way to go and I hate it when someone borrows a book of mine and dogears it. I actually mention it the next time they borrow a book and ask them not to do it...and offer a bookmark if they don't have one (I've got tons). [SViswan]
I really like hardbacks because I can use the dustcover to mark my place. When I'm only reading one book & I'm working my way pretty quickly thru it, I'll look at the page number and get pretty close to it when I return. If its not such a good book, I'll use a scrap of paper to mark my place, and sometimes never return... but I've only seldom never finished a book - tho there was one recently.... [ElicBxn]
I use a bookmark - always. Now, the bookmark might be the reciept from when I bought the book, or it might be an autentic bookmark. Sometimes I use the jacket of the book (if it's a hardback) if I don't have anything else. Everyone knows when I loan them a book, use a bookmark. I usually have plenty and have been known to loan the bookmark with the book. Even paperbacks. [reinydawn]
I always use bookmarks, anything to hand as long as it keeps my place I'm not bothered. [Foxfire1875]
I use a piece of paper or cardboard as a bookmark. Those advertisement cards that they place in magazines come in handy. I've also used money as a bookmark on occasion :) I'd never intentionally crease the pages of a book. I prefer to keep my books in good condition. I even try to take care of my music and guitar magazines. [crispeater]
personally, dog ears do my head in, and i try to use anything rather tha crease the corner of a page, it ruins the book. anything can work as a bookmark, my favourite is the dust cover, just flap it in on the page your at, and when youre past halfway, use the back flap of the dust cover. [bogzdollox]
Hhhmmm... That's another good strategy! [dolce_vita78]
well bookmarks it is for me now. i admit i am guilty of being one of those who dog eared my books initially. but sometimes when i borrowed books from the library and saw the condition of the books due to it, i quit after that. also, using bookmarks tend to make the book look new longer. [sminut13]
I use bookmarks. I don't like using the dog ear method. I can find my spot a lot easier with the bookmark than with the dog ear method. [sweetgirl_k1]
If I own the book(s): I'll dog ear paperbacks, but use a scrap piece of paper as a bookmark for hardcovers. If I don't own the book: I'll use something for a bookmark (usually the printout I get from the library). [hWhite]
I personally don't understand why people turn the page corners down. You can bookmarks anywhere for free. Go to a book store and they put one in your bag when you make a purchase. Go to the library and there are always different bookmarks nearby. These are great advertising tools. I have a ton of bookmarks. I'm not sure why. It's not as though I will have the need to put all of them in books at the same time. I also have bookmarks that I purchased that actually slip onto the page like a paper clip. My good one is monogrammed. :) When I buy a used book or borrow one from the library, I am bothered by the tattered pages because someone preferred to turn down the corner rather than use a bookmark. The books wear out quicker that way. [patgalca]
I use both, neither and one or the other. I know that people want to preserve their books. For me reading is a gift, a pleasure-something I want to devour every last morsel of. I hear the author's voice reading while I read. I imagine how often he left and came back to rewrite just to make a certain line write. Now-one would think that I would handle them with care...I almost see that as disrespectful. I make notes in maargins, highlight pages and paragraphs or phrases. I dogear especially meaningful things, things I want to explore more of, things I want to understand on a deeper level. I'm not sure how the authors would feel but I believe that this is a testimony the their undying words. Books can always be re printed. In today's society-even-"collectible" books are made for a throw away society. If I had something truly astounding and glorious it would be preserved. But then what enjoyment could I get from reading it? Its like telling a child not to play with her Barbie doll or his GI Joe doll because it might be worth something someday. [heatherhedyjon]
i am very bad. i generally dog ear my page because i keep loosing bookmarks! really i bought this great metal one and i have no idea where it is! if i use a book mark, i just end up using a scrap of paper. [cher913]
I dog-ear my pages. Even the library books...I know, I know I should be used book marks for the library books, but I find it too slow to put the bookmark in. Lame, I know. Nadine [Nadinest]
My husband will fold the corner of a page on occasion if he can't find something to mark his place in the book. Usually our daughter has walked away with it. It drives me crazy. I hate it when my books have creases in them. I always use a bookmark, even if it is just a scrap of paper. I never ever fold the pages of my books, no matter how cheap. [moneyandgc]
bookmarks work best, and look nicer too [thatcrazyqbanita]
I prefer to use book marks or scraps of paper to mark my pages. [maddysmommy]
I hated doing that to my books and I amm teaching my children the same. I use a book mark and if i can't find a book mark I will remember the page I am on. I can easily do that but tell me a phone number and I am lost in 10 min...LOL but i haven't dog eared a book that I can remember I have always used a book mark!!! [mag_keizer2007]
I tend to use bookmarks so I can find my page easier; I dog ear magazines but I can't find them! I gave up on formal bookmarks--they're too small and thin! I right now am using a neon orange brochure as a bookmark--easy to find (even if it slips down below the edges of the book!) and easy to see, even in dim light. If it's a paperback, I'll generally just lay it carefully next to me face down (how bad for the spine!), but only if I'm extremely tired or it's a book I didn't buy new at face value (the last hardback I got cost about $30 USD!). [scorpiobabes]
Bookmarks for the same reason that you do. But I take it a step further; How many of you do this: The color of my bookmark has to match the color of the bookcover, or at least the top. For instance, if the top of the bookcover is black, like alot of Stephen King books, I'll go through a magazine or maybe junk mail and find an advertisement that has black on it. I'll tear out the portion that is black and use it as a bookmark. My bookmarks don't have to be that big. Anyody else do that? [marty3888]
I have several bookmarks so I also do color coding from time to time. [dolce_vita78]
well sometimes when im lazy reaching up or looking for bookmarks.. i just hurriedly fold a page on where i stopped..especially when im on bed reading.. [vanities]
For books, both hardcover and paperback, I always use a bookmark of some sort. Anything can be used as a bookmark. It doesn't even have to be an "official" bookmark. A piece of paper, cardboard, a string... For catalogs, I will dog ear them. Otherwise there would be sooo many bookmarks sticking out of it that it wouldn't even look like a catalog anymore. :) [michelyn]
I only use bookmarks. I too am very interested in keeping my books in pristine condition. This might sound kind of silly, but I think it shows a lack of respect or appreciation for the printed word when you dog ear a book. Honestly, it's just as easy to grab a scrap of paper to do a makeshift bookmark as it is to fold the corner of a page down. Not to mention it's a lot less destructive too. Besides. If you end up reading the same book over and over again, it does tend to get sort of confusing (and messy) to see multiple pages that have been previously dog-eared, then unfolded. I know some people may say that it's too easy to lose your page if a bookmark slips out and that the dog ear remedies that situation. But if you think about it, it's just as easy for a dog ear to get inadvertently flipped back up. If it's a book that's been read multiple times and has numerous old dog ears, it can be just as difficult to find your spot again. [mamakat]
I use bookmarks. I seem to have a lot of them LOL even different ones for different kinds of books. I have one that is shaped like a christmas tree with a lacy ribbon for garland and it has a small jingle bell on the end of it. I have one that is shaped like a cross with a small rope coming from it with a set of small praying hands on the end of it. I even have one that is silver and is shaped as a canopy bed. I could go on on on as my drawers are full of bookmarks. The one I use the most looks like a credit card with a 1/4 inch wide ribbon that looks like little dollar bills hooked together. My friends and children have sent me book marks from around the world. I have some on a board just above one of my bookshelves. The one shaped like the Eiffel Tower is the one that catches the eye. It is bigger than the rest so it gets center stage on the board. I would never fold down a corner or any book, paperback or hardback. [Kowgirl]
I have done both in the past. I relly choose not to dog ear my pages. I like to keep my books in original condition like you said. I will use most anything as a bookmark. I have even used a tissue or a piece of toilet paper hahaha! [mamasan34]
I really don't like dog earing... I do have a few books that have been abused a bit but most of that happened before I got a hold of them (library sales). I use bookmarks, or other things that could be used as bookmarks...On occasion I resort to just setting the book down so it keeps the page. I'm not trying to keep everything in mint condition or anything it just bothers me. [Arkadus]
I have so many bookmarks, mostly that I've made, but lost. I know most(if not all) of them are. I don't like dogears at all, but due to loosing my bookmars most of my books have them (oh for shame). [ohwellie]
I would have to say that I love to use bookmarks I can't stand damaging my books with dog ears. My other half uses dog ears which drives me up the wall without a paddle. LOL!! Because he usually does it when reading my books. LOL!!! [bellaofchaos]
I do both. I prefer to use bookmarks most of the time but there are just times when I can't find one or have to rush off somewhere. I have old books I have picked up over the years that have been dog eared by others that I treasure because in my mind, even dog earring a book has a story. [sageivyberyl]
I prefer bookmarks, I cannot fathom dog earing a book... [zenmachado]
for me as a trained librarian and true bookworm....... no dog ears (shudder), always bookmarks. I have discovered dort of post it adhesives which can be peeled off the page without doing any harm to it and love to use this now better than a good old fashioned bookmark. [book1962]
I used to use bookmarks when reading a book but then I never knew which page I needed to start at again, the right hand side or the left hand side, so now i just dogear the page. I don't care if I am marking up the book by doing this, it just isn't important to me. I like to know which page I ended off with so that is what I do. My hubby doesn't do either, he just lays the book down , face first, and then picks it up again when he wants to read it again. He has about 10 books started and none finished, laying on the floor by his side of the bed. So I don't vacuum his side of the bed too often because I don't want to pick yhem up and loose his pages. [chrislotz]