Grappling with book graffiti

Warwick Students’ Union are currently conducting an online poll on whether to start a campaign against writing notes in University library books. The topic has inspired much discussion on the campus.

The poll, running on the SU website, was set up to gauge whether or not students feel that making notes in library books should be banned or, on the contrary, be deemed perfectly acceptable.

Of those students the _Boar_ asked, only a minority felt that other people’s notes in library books were a great help to their own work.

One first year Film Studies student said, “I think the old notes in the books are excellent. It’s like having a personal reader who’s already found your essay quotes for you. The Union should absolutely not ban it.”

A large number of the books date back several decades and therefore come with a vast number of scribblings.

However, one first year Sociology student said, “I absolutely hate it. It ruins the books, it’s basically akin to graffiti and, it seems to me, the people who do the book damaging either have no consideration for others or are so conceited as to think their peers would appreciate their ‘impressive’ views on the text. It really is ridiculous.”

The Students’ Union suggests that anyone who has the urge to write in their books should instead use page markers which would create less damage.