Clicking the cap back onto my pen, folding the corner of the page, and closing the book, I thought nothing of the countless times I have dog-eared a page to save a spot, underlined a powerful quote, or noted an observation in the margins of a page.
Yes, I am one of those readers who prefers dog-eared pages and highlighted passages. Although a major reason for the formation of this habit was my tendency to lose actual bookmarks, I have always found comfort in returning to a book with folded pages that mark my progress throughout the story. Where corners are bent every few pages, I am reminded of a monologue that put me to sleep. Likewise, where folds are few and far in between, I remember a time where sleep never came, as I read into the early morning hours.
When confronted by those readers who look upon my bent and battered novels appalled, I have made my case of finding beauty in the way my markings preserve my journey of reading that story.
I have often pushed aside those opposing voices that are quick to assert my act of “book abuse” (as Bookmarkers like to call it), without giving it much of a second thought.
Common Bookmarker reactions to the folded corners of my novels tend to run along the lines of “why would you hurt the poor book” (as if it’s not already made of dead trees), or a defense for the book’s utmost care simply so that it will look pretty on a shelf. I had not really heard any convincing arguments for a bookmark’s necessity and began to wonder if there actually was a valid case for their use.
Thus, being the prestigious, academic student I am, I turned to a Wikipedia article on the history of bookmarks and a Reddit debate between, what I have designated, Bookmarkers and Dog-earers.
This research led me to discover that many Bookmarkers hold similar reasons for using bookmarks as Dog-earers have for folding page corners…
To preserve the memory of a story.
When printed books were first introduced to the world, they were rather rare, which meant that their owners took extra care to preserve their condition. This careful care led to the creation of bookmarks, which were first made out of silk and ribbon and became a collectible item in the 19th century. As the supply of printed books is no longer limited, that care for their condition has declined. Thus, the use of bookmarks has made way to the simple folding of a page corner.
With the rarity of books no longer being an issue, most readers now feel less of an inclination to preserve the formational integrity of a book. However, those who are devoted to the use of bookmarks still remain.
According to Bookmarkers, they so strongly believe in the use of bookmarks for the same reason those book owners did at the beginning of the print book industry. For many
Bookmarkers, the book itself is a work of art, not just the story that it contains. Their desire to avoid damaging a book is their way of preserving the story for themselves and those who will read it after them.
This, I believe, is where Bookmarkers and Dog-earers find common ground. While Bookmarkers find significance in taking certain measures (i.e. using bookmarks) to preserve a story, Dog-earers (a.k.a. Annotaters) find significance in what their marks upon the book preserve of the story. Both approaches are simply a way of preserving an experience with a story.
Having come to this conclusion, I am drawn to this realization that, while this matter is primarily relevant to the bookworms of the world, it is a great example of the human tendency to preserve stories.
Whether it be using a bookmark to save the spot in a novel, capturing a photo with friends at the summit of a long hike, or filming a video of a concert performance, it is evident that we are people who desire to preserve a story for ourselves days, or even years, later.
Although bookmarks are such a small, seemingly insignificant item, they represent a common delight in the ability to preserve a moment, thought, or story; one that we will one day look back on and smile.
Michaela Joy 