DEAR ABBY: "Book Lover in Pennsylvania" described the frustration of loaning books to friends and never getting them back.
I, too, am a book lover. Some of my books are old friends that have remained on my shelves for years. Periodically, I take them down and reread them. As I have matured, I understand things the author was saying that I did not upon the first reading.
Because many of these books are out of print and irreplaceable, I have designed a bookmark that I print myself on card stock. At the top, I list the title, author, loan date, who I loaned the book to, and the person's phone number.
When I lend a book to someone, I cut off the top portion of the bookmark and fill it out in the presence of the borrower. I keep the top portion taped to my desk calendar, and when a reasonable amount of time has elapsed, if the book has not been returned, I'll telephone. Or, I'll stop by the person's home, ring the doorbell and say politely, "Hi, I've come to collect the book you borrowed." So far, it has worked for me.
If you print my letter, please keep me anonymous. Sign me ... P.L.S. IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR P.L.S.: That's a clever solution to a touchy problem. Thank you for sharing it.