Fear of Loaning and Lost Pages by Kallie Weisgarber

Fear of Loaning and Lost Pages
By Kallie Weisgarber

Set the scene. You're out to brunch with your best friend. Maybe there are mimosas involved, maybe not. Who am I to say? You are catching up from the last week or two since you two have had a chance to get together. They tell you about their work woes and their landlord who is jerking them around. You tell them about how the road to your workplace is somehow ALWAYS under construction lately and the most recent book you've read. 

And then it happens. The one unavoidable thing in every bookworm's life. The turning point for all of us.

Your friend looks at you and says, "That book sounds AMAZING! Can I borrow it?"

Your head is spinning. Did you have one too many mimosas? Did they ACTUALLY just ask that? The audacity of some people. But, maybe it would be cool to loan it out, then they can read it and you could talk about it together, but that is what bookstagram is for. You can read your precious books and talk about them with other people. Does it make you a bad friend to say no? 

Stay calm. I know it's a lot to handle right now. If you're anything like me then you also felt the panic of the person in that scene. You know that panic because you have been in that position. What did you decide to do? 

Maybe you decided to go the nice bookworm route. You let your friend borrow the book so you could share in this epic read together. Who cares about any damage to the book, right? Do you get the book back from them or does it magically vanish? Who cares? You can always get more books and damage to the book just means that it is well-loved. 

Or, just maybe, you are more like my fellow Night Worm reviewers and myself and you won't let anyone lay a hand on your precious precious books. They can pry them from your cold dead hands, and even then, they would have to fight off your ghost. If someone wants to read the synopsis on the back of your book you can send a photo of it. And if they are so dead set on borrowing the book, they can march themselves right down to the local library and get it there. Your books are special and amazing and YOURS. 

Or, you could still be undecided. This landmark occasion just hasn’t happened to you yet, and don't worry, it will. You should honestly start thinking about the type of bookworm you want to be right now, because it is a tough decision.

Even though I never lend out my books, I still wish I wasn't so rigid with my rules around my personal library. I always want to be the nice bookworm friend that at least considers lending out my books to my friends and families (that's right mom, I see the way you eye my books when you come to my house).

With this dilemma in mind, I sat down and made something that will help me and anyone like me. I made an application to give to those friends who ask to borrow a book from one of my shelves. You can use it too! When a friend asks, you just give them the application and tell them to return it when they've filled it out. Tell them you'll go over it and get back to them in the next seven to ten business days with your answer.

Here is just a preview of the loan application. Download the whole thing and print by visiting this link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XbYPjOPhiPVIcEQvLmhxKnmc3ee8Iay9HDv7n9cIBPU