Highlighting and markings: Defacing or loving?

I happen to love to underline, highlight, or write notes to myself in the margins about what I'm thinking when I'm reading a book.
(fiction books are exempt from this, usually)

So many of my friends think this is crazy.  I love to break the spine and feel this makes a book look loved.  I don't know if books should be treated like a shrine unless it's first edition you've financially invested in or a family heirloom.

What do you think?

If you own it, I think it's fine to do whatever you want with a book. I personally don't highlight or make notes in books I read for pleasure, but I did all the time with my uni textbooks!  And it can be kind of neat to go back to it later. I own a copy of Pride and Prejudice that belonged to my mother when she was studying it in high school (in the 70's!), and I got such a kick out of reading all of her notes/observations on the text.

In elementary school, DD (now 15) was taught how to notate in any book she was reading.  They used little sticky notes.  She now reads with a pad of post-it notes and a pen beside her and sticks it in the book when she has something she needs to remember.  When she is finished the book, the post-its go into a notebook that she keeps.  She has lots and lots of notebooks. 

I can always tell what book she's reading because it has lots of sticky notes sticking out of it. 

I would never use a highlighter in a book. Ever. In university textbooks, yes, but that's it. I wouldn't use ink of any sort, actually. I do sometimes make light pencil notations, but not often - and usually that's only to correct typos or other editing mistakes (I can't seem to curb my copy editor tendencies!).

I don't mind breaking the spine of a book, though I know some people get very sniffy about that. But if it's a rubbishy paperback that I'm reading on holiday or that I have to read for my book club, then I'll be careful not to break the spine so I can get more for it when I resell on Amazon!

(This very topic came up recently on a reading and books forum I belong to! Is that coincidence, or are you a member there, too, west_0515?)

Even in textbooks I only ever used a pencil or post it notes. Breaking the spine, ok, fine on most books but using pen or highlighter to write notes in a book nonononono. 

Breaking the spine, ok, fine on most books but using pen or highlighter to write notes in a book nonononono. 

I'm really curious as to why some people are against writing in pen or highlighting books that they own (of course, library books should *never* be written in even in pencil.)  I don't write in my books because it slows down my reading considerably, but I'm not against other people doing it to their own books.  I also wouldn't write in books I wanted to sell on someday, but most of my books I'll either keep or donate to a secondhand bookshop.

I was taught not to use pen or marker in sheet music (always always pencil!) which I agree with because that's a performance interpretation thing.  But I don't see any problems with books- is there something I'm missing, or just a personal preference?

I was taught not to use pen or marker in sheet music (always always pencil!) which I agree with because that's a performance interpretation thing.  But I don't see any problems with books- is there something I'm missing, or just a personal preference?

Purely personal preference! 

Yep just personal preference, but that comes from having it dinned into me as a child that it was wrong. At school it was wrong because the book was going to be re used by someone else (we had to rub it all out at the end of the year!) and at home it was wrong because it was disrespectful to the book/author. Plus, highlighter pens didn't even exist back then, or if they did, I wasn't aware of them ... not til my mid teens anyway.

I rarely highlighted text in my university books, and I never sold any back to the bookstore. I never highlight anything in fiction work, and I wouldn't break a book's spine--that would add too much wear and tear.

(This very topic came up recently on a reading and books forum I belong to! Is that coincidence, or are you a member there, too, west_0515?)

It's just a coincidence.  Sorry.  I really only brought it up because I was re-reading a book my best friend suggested to me in college (Ishmael by Daniel Quinn) and I had made some markings of what I was thinking about what was being said...

I remember my best friend always being so particular about that sort of thing.  He would read his books without completely opening them as to not break the spine.
When he and I shared an apartment for a bit, you could see his books from mine because mine all looked well read and loved (not trashed and ugly, mind you) and his looked like they were brand new.

I appreciate his opinion - but there was something nice and nostalgic about seeing my impressions from college and seeing how age and time may have strengthened or changed them.

I really loathe opening a book and seeing that someone has highlighted all over it and scribbled in the margin. Fine, mark it up, scribble your thoughts, do whatever. But then you can never, never lend the book to anyone else, or worse, sell it.

My mother has a real problem with highlighters. She will want you to read and enjoy what she has read and enjoyed, but when you see all of the scribbling and blocks of highlighted text it is as if you are reading her impressions rather than enjoying your own. Grrr.

Breaking the spine is essential to comfortable reading, though.

I was taught not to use pen or marker in sheet music (always always pencil!) which I agree with because that's a performance interpretation thing.  But I don't see any problems with books- is there something I'm missing, or just a personal preference?

From an archival point of view, ink degrades paper, while graphite doesn't.  That's a simplistic explanation, but might explain why some people only write in pencil.  Personally, I don't write in books at all, unless I'm forced to by a teacher - I tend to "consume" books (reading them once, then moving on to another) rather than re-reading and treasuring old favorites.

In elementary school, DD (now 15) was taught how to notate in any book she was reading.  They used little sticky notes.  She now reads with a pad of post-it notes and a pen beside her and sticks it in the book when she has something she needs to remember.  When she is finished the book, the post-its go into a notebook that she keeps.  She has lots and lots of notebooks. 

I can always tell what book she's reading because it has lots of sticky notes sticking out of it. 

That's actually pretty common nowadays, at least in my area. I teach my kids the same thing.

I really loathe opening a book and seeing that someone has highlighted all over it and scribbled in the margin. Fine, mark it up, scribble your thoughts, do whatever. But then you can never, never lend the book to anyone else, or worse, sell it.

Oh, No!  I'd never sell a book that I've written in.  To be honest, I have a hard time parting with my books.  That's actually been the conversation of the past few days as I pack up my apartment getting ready to make the move to the UK.  My wife and I are absolutly amazed at how many books we have.  Over half of the boxes in my living room now are books.

I only really mark in books that are thought provoking or study books for me and my work.  I don't do that in fiction - unless, of course, it's a book that is meant to be...well, you know the kind.  And I don't lend those out. 

If I feel strongly enough about that kind of book I'll sooner buy a copy as a gift for a friend than lend my marked up copy - mainly (I must admit) because I'm a little shy about showing others my thoughts and impressions about something I've read.  It may be private or simply something I've outgrown and am ashamed of.

My wife and I are absolutly amazed at how many books we have.  Over half of the boxes in my living room now are books.

That's how I felt when I moved too! But even though I knew I had far too many books, my collection seems to have mysteriously doubled (very nearly) in the four years I've been in the UK! The second-hand book buying opportunites here are incredible!