Marking One's Place

For most of my reading life, I was a page folder. Any book of mine that I have had for more than five years has dog-eared pages. I would occasionally start a book with a bookmark, but by the time I was finished, the dog-ears had returned.

Then, I underwent a mysterious transition. About five years ago, I just stopped dog-earing pages and started using bookmarks. I'd love to tell you that there was a precise reason for it, the desire to protect the book from damage or to copy some role-model, but that is not the case.

Of course, I don't really buy bookmarks. I like the random free ones. My favorite are the bookmarks from independent book stores. I hoard them, and use them as needed. For one bookstore I'm particularly fond of, I have a five year-run of all of the different bookmarks they have gone with, as they've changed logos, color-schemes, and locations. I also have bookmarks from independent bookstores in other cities, because of course I can't go anywhere without going to a bookstore.

This weekend I added to my collection with a bookmark from the Harvard Book Store. This isn't the school store and it's not a Barnes & Noble controlled 'false friend'. It is instead, in their own words, a "locally owned, independently run" bookstore. And I liked it a lot. They had a good and eclectic selection of books, and an extensive staff recommendations section.

I consider staff recommendations vital. Not that I often take their recommendations, but it's a sign that the staff really care about books, and that matters to me.

In addition to my bookmark, and the books I purchased, I came away with another little touch that I admired.

Author pins. At the register, they had a small bin filled with patterned pins bearing the names of specific authors. I bought a Saul Bellow, an author I need to read more of, and a Herodotus, an author I have read in English and, to a lesser extent, Greek. There were more authors I would have liked, but one can only wear so many pins. There were a lot more authors I would have loved to have on pins, but they weren't available.

The point is, these pins are a great idea. If you can wear pins of all of your favorite bands, why not your favorite authors. Reading is fun, and we should have fun with it.