Sir zLog's Imprint

Bob recommended and generously lent me his paperback copy of Alexander Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. Upon opening the book, I was surprised to find an imprint. Embossed on the first page are two simple, yet elegant concentric circles and the words "Library of R D Z".

Noticing Bob's imprint brought me to wondering about the state of my own library. Though it has been neglected of late, perhaps my collection could benefit from a similar mark.

When I was younger I resisted making any sort of notation in books--so that the next reader would be able to experience the work by itself, for itself, unfettered by any distractions. This position makes perfect sense when it comes to highlighting, underling, and margin notes.

But a simple imprint detracts little, if anything, from the pristine encounter of a first time reading. At most it informs you of who it belongs to (and presumeably likes it). If such knowledge alters your perception of a work noticeably, then you are easily affected my friend.

I used to have a secondary objection, more philosophical in nature. I didn't like the idea of claiming ownership of a text that is the product of someone else and truly property of the world. But this thought applies mostly to the idea of the book, and not to any individual printed book per se.

In point of fact, my books are indeed mine. Collected across almost two decades, I am proud of my assemblage of literature. Perhaps it's time for me to formalize my piles of books into a proper collection with a mark of my own.