I love owning physical copies of books. I hold on to them not entirely because I intend to read them again but because I love how they decorate my bookshelves. I think of them like trophies. For these reasons, I hesitate to lend these books out.
I even feel a little guilty about this hesitation. Because I don’t want to be selfish or overly materialistic. I also like sharing books with people to help spread the richness that comes with reading. But I’m also worried that I won’t get my books back. Or that they’ll come back covered in coffee stains and spaghetti sauce. And I know I’m not the only one who feels the same way.
So how do you share books with friends without having an anxiety attack? How do you get loaned books back from those absent-minded friends? And how can you respectfully borrow books from your friends?