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tags: Marginalia
My late mother was an avid reader of library books. She used to mark the books she had read by filling in the loops of the letters on the copyright page. Apparently she noticed the hidden codes that other readers used to similarly mark books they had read: a circle around page 10, a line on page 20, &c. I wonder if the author has come across such marks?
Read this comment just now. I recall my grandmother used to do the same, with a small steganographic mark on the corner of pages so that she’d be aware that she read them. I only really became aware of it after she passed away.
Inside the library is a hidden record of all of these interactions, for all the readers of the books. Some might not even be intentional, such as fingerprints or an eyelash trapped between pages. Eventually all of the books in the library will be replaced. Some books will leave the library.
What to make of each reader’s individual code? This arbitrary signal that they decide on early on and keep for ages. Fill the loop. Kiss the last page and examine under black light.
What if two readers decide on the same mark? What if you notice the mark, and end up loving the book choices? You search for the mark of your favored reader.
A term from this
Counter - the area of a letter that is partially or entirely enclosed.
Related to this
Storey - the number of open or closed stacked counters.
