Reading Others' Texts: Marginalia and the Inscription of Meaning in Collectible Books

The popular value of used books reveals insights into the material pleasures of reading and collecting books. Focusing on a collectible book genre, we explore how material practices such as collecting, reading, and inscribing create meaning for consumers. We analyze the materiality of these used texts, including “inscriptions” and previous owner’s marginalia – written annotations, marks, and notes left in the pages. We explore the aesthetic and temporal dimensions of books via three key aspects of their appeal: 1) marginalia; 2) collectability; and 3) material pleasures.



Citation:

Janet Borgerson and Jonathan Schroeder (2009) ,"Reading Others' Texts: Marginalia and the Inscription of Meaning in Collectible Books", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 36, eds. Ann L. McGill and Sharon Shavitt, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 188-189.

Authors

Janet Borgerson, University of Exeter, UK
Jonathan Schroeder, University of Exeter, UK



Volume

NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 36 | 2009



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