One of the side benefits of society membership is that a book you’re looking for is on the shelves or packed away in a box of a society friend. On Thursday, I picked up one I’d been looking for, and the side benefit was sitting down for a conversation over a coffee.
The lender was careful to make a note that I’d borrowed it. A wise move, as we can all be forgetful. He mentioned another book he’d lent and now couldn’t remember who to.
What’s your experience? Have you lent a book that hasn’t been returned? Do you have a book you borrowed and have been meaning to return?
Being a retired librarian, lending and borrowing books fills a lot of my time. I can now borrow a library book and return it overdue with no charges. I always return borrowed books to friends. Never had a friend not return a borrowed book, and particularly in these trying times, most are fastidious about returning shared books, because books have become a solace to many of us.
I used to lend out my books in the past but many were never returned to me. Sometimes the borrower moved away (taking my books). So, unless I have a close working relationship with the borrower, I no longer lend out books. However, I am happy for people to use them in my home or to do look-ups for them. Occasionally, our genealogy society will have a book-sharing meeting and I will take a selection of my books to that. On the other hand, I ALWAYS return books that I have borrowed!
Yup, and yup. Sigh. Cheers anyways, BT