Hints from Heloise

Dear Heloise: I read about the reader who lends books and doesn’t know how to tactfully get them back. I am an avid reader who has built up a very large collection of diverse books through the years.

This is what I now do when I lend my books. I neatly put a note in the inside cover: “Please return to,” with my name and telephone number. Period. When I lend the book, I point this out. I know that people might not want to mess their book up with handwriting, but most books don’t have a resale value, and it is more important to me that I receive my book back. I will also give the person a reasonable amount of time (I think that six months is more than sufficient), and then I ask for it back. If the person can’t get to it by then, I doubt he or she ever will. – Doreen Z., via e-mail

We received a lot of responses about this topic. My hint? I photocopy the cover, then put the person’s name and date on the back of the copy, as well as write my name on the inside of the book. – Heloise