Casey’s Literary Rants

Casey Literary RantsIn which I rant about the lack of proper bookmark usage

For my first ever Casey’s Literary Rants, I’m going to rant about a growing epidemic that not many people are even aware about. I am here today to tell you, no warn you, about this pandemic that may change the way we read forever. Thousands, if not millions* of readers around the world are not, I repeat are not, using proper bookmarks when reading a book!!

Yes, I know that is very hard to believe but I have seen it with my own eyes. If my eyesight isn’t enough of an authority for all you skeptics out there, well all I can say is, trust me. I’m a librarian. I’ve seen the non-bookmarks bookmarks left behind in library books. And the numbers are growing almost daily.

I can tell the difference between the people who are only just starting to lose their way. They’re the people who leave behind index cards, post-its, To Do lists, the library receipt, doctor appointment cards and papers with names/phone numbers on them. Then it gets worse. People start to use credit card bills, a roof-repair bill, thank-you notes from a wedding, sand (though this is Florida and taking a book to the beach is fairly common), a blank check, ‘I Love You’ cards, photographs, a candy wrapper, used and clean tissues, a used nail file and a lottery ticket.

And some people actually fold the pages of the book instead of using any kind of bookmark! Oh the horror!!!!

On the bright side of all of this, a very few people can actually memorize the page number that they’re on before closing the book. Those people are safe and have no need to worry about falling victim to this epidemic. My sister is one of those lucky few people. I am not.

It’s true, I have succumbed to the temptation to use random pieces of paper when no bookmarks are within easy reach. It’s pretty much a vertical slope after that and soon I was using receipts, homework, my To Do lists, and even one time, I’m almost ashamed to admit, a postcard. It was a long, laborious journey back to the realm of safety and now that I have cured myself, I always keep bookmarks handy – even carrying several in my purse so I won’t be caught off guard when I’m out and about.

I am one of the lucky few who have been cured. There are many who give up hope and die without knowing that there is a cure out there.

People, I am not making this stuff up! We must rally together and march on libraries, forcing them to acknowledge this dangerous blight and find a way to spread the cure before it’s too late for the rest of the world!

P.S. If you are to gain anything from my ranting let it be this: always flip through your library books before you return them to make sure you haven’t left anything inside. And yes, everything I listed about finding in library books is true.

*These numeral statistics have no factual basis other than the fact that I think that many people still read books.

About Casey 203 Articles
Casey is the founder of Heart Full of Ink, Director at Reading Until Dawn Con, and a full time cheese addict. She's been ranting and reviewing for Literary Escapism since 2010, and is part of the trio #3Bloggers1Series podcast. When she's not reading, looking for new books, or stalking authors online (waiting for more books), she can be found binge watching Netflix. But really, her life is all about DEM BOOKS!

8 Comments

  1. I work for an independent used bookstore and clean the books that come in. Like you I have seen bills, receipts,rubber bands, restaurant gift cards, my favorite was their prescription for medication that hadn’t been filled and actual money left as place markers. If there is any pet peeve that I have it’s folded/ dog eared corners.I keep a well stocked supply of my own tasseled book marks, author freebies, and even blank post its to mark my spots. On occasion I can remember the pages or at least roughly the chapter. People still read books, I have a kindle and I still love holding a paperback. I don’t mind people using scraps of paper but if a person is going to send the book public ie book sales, library books please make sure the papers are not something you don’t want others to see.

  2. Your rant is hilarious! I am one of these people who prefer to use supermarket receipts or torn of pieces of magazine. The reason is… that my bookmarks are so pretty that I am afraid to lose them. Yeah, I know it’s silly!

  3. @Misty – It is absolutely CRAZY what people leave behind in books. You’d think that since the book isn’t their own personal book (at least for library books) they wouldn’t use something important as a bookmark. But yeah, I really hate the folded pages. That drives me crazy to no end.

    @Selina – Thanks! That’s not silly. I have some bookmarks that are either too pretty to be used, or they were signed by the author and I just don’t want to lose them.

  4. Oh, the horror!

    I’m utterly addicted to bookmarks myself and have even spent many minutes decided which of many booksmarks fits perfectly to the book I’m about that start reading. My favourite bookmarks are actually my well worn ones where the tassel has gone and they have bite marks in the corner as I have been know to chew on them when the book becomes particularly tense. I think I’m at the other end of the spectrum from this ‘disease’! :-)

  5. I actually use the library check out slip as a bookmark for library books. That way I don’t forget when they are due back. But I use a bookmark for books I own.

  6. Most of my reading life I always used a legitimate bookmark. (my preference is ones with a tassel) The last seven years I’ve been using Post-its buried in the pages because my cat Sam will always try and pull any bookmark out of any book he gets near. My fault I use to tease him with my bookmark when he was a kitten, little did I know…

  7. @Mel – Wow! You’re one of very few. So feel special, very special :)

    @Sandy – Oh yeah, I have found MILLIONS of of those slips left behind in books. Literally MILLIONS. But that’s better than candy wrappers or whatever other nonsense people leave behind.

    @CC – I’m like Sam…I like playing with the tassels and then the tassels get ruined :(

  8. haha, omg this is funny. I’ve used post-its, index cards, the occasional business card, but for the most part if there isn’t something handy(usually the case.) I’ll just remember the page I’m on so it’s never that big of an issue. Especially growing up, my brother liked to move my bookmarks on me because he thought it was funny. -___-

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