I'm reading Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov. I typically buy a book and then also rent from the library so I have a copy to read at home and one at work so that I'm not lugging it back and forth constantly. I was reading my library copy which is an early edition and on the second page of chapter 9 there is a paragraph that reads "The two men, trader and patrician, entered Siwenna." But they aren't on Siwenna, they are on a completely different planet called Trantor. This confused me and caused me to pause and read the prior few paragraphs over again a few times to make sure i didn't miss anything. I eventually decided it must be an error and when I got home, checked my newer copy and the planet name had been corrected to Trantor.
My question is this: Would it be terrible/wrong/improper to put a single slash through the word "Siwenna" and write "Trantor" next to it? This could save someone else the frustration/confusion that I went through, but I also know that some people think it is sacrilege to write in books even if they are your own. Thoughts?
by Micotu
9 Comments
Don’t deface a public library’s book. If anything, leave a scrap of paper or a bookmark in it with the correction and leave it marking that page.
No matter how correct you are and no matter how well-intentioned you might be, it’s just not appropriate for a borrower to mark up public property. If every borrower edited the books they borrow, they’d be usable for far less longer than they are now and much less enjoyable to read.
It’s better to leave the error in place.
If you absolutely can’t stand leaving it be, then just write your correction on a little piece of paper and leave it inside the book at the offending page.
Don’t write in something that doesn’t belong to you.
No you cant edit it. its not your book
Personally, as a librarian, I don’t mind this. It seems very discreet and the interest is in improving the experience for the reader. People mark up our books often for much less considerate reasons, but this to me seems like a reasonable instance to do so!
NO!!! ABSOLUTELY NOT! That is not your book. There is nothing more annoying and immersion breaking than picking up a library book with notes or highlights in them.
Honestly that’s neat I would find my own edition with the error
I don’t see why other readers wouldn’t realize the mistake by themselves.
In my opinion you shouldn’t even leave a note, let alone annotate on the book. Honestly, if I was the next reader, I’d be a bit offended someone thought I needed help understanding that 😅
I’m gonna get blasted for this but go ahead. If I was the next reader I’d appreciate it. though people are gonna act like you ran a bus through a kindergarten, not a pencil through a word.