[English Regents-Part I] Recently I heard a speech from Dr. Mortimer Alder about the value of book ownership is that readers can write in their books. I believe that Dr. Mortimer Alder is correct. There are two ways to own a book the first way is the property right you establish by paying for it, just like you pay for clothes and furniture.
The second way of owning a book is make it part of yourself, best way to make yourself is to writing in it. I proposal that school district should provide personal copies of assigned novels for students top keep. So the students can read and write in the novels. There are three kinds of book owners. The first book owner is best-sellers that are unread and untouched. These owners don’t really read the books and just collects them.
The second book owner is clean that is few of the books are read through, but most of them as clean and shiny as the day they were brought. These owners read the books but don’t understand the true meaning of the book. The third book owner is that the book is worn and that is the true book ownership. The book is shaken and loosened by continual use, marked and scribbled in front to back. These owners writing in the books think about the author meanings and think of themselves having conversation with the author. The marking of the books help the readers.
Marking up the book to help remember the thought of the reader and author. The physical act of the writing with your own hand in the book brings words and sentences more sharply before your mind and preserves then better in your memory. Marks and notes become an integral part of the book and stay there forever. Writing a outline is to help the reader to record the work and help understand the book. There are numerous kinds of devices for marking a book intelligently. Underlining the major points of important forceful statements.
Numbering in the margin to indicate the sequence of points the author makes in developing a single argument. Numbering the pages in the book the author make so the ideas can put together. Circling the key words or phrases that the author make showing the book. Writing in the margin is to help you to record questions from the passage that raise in your mind and reducing a complicated discussion to a simple statement. I hope the proposal will be accepted.
I agree with Dr. Mortimer Alder’s speech about the value of book ownership. The student with his or her own books would benefits the mind of the students.