I finally got around to reading a book I had on my giant pile of To Be Reads this week. It's a collection of thre books in one (Death by Design). I had flipped through it when I received it and it seemed in great condition. I quickly marked it received without problem. While, as I sat down to read it, I found that a previous reader had made corrections to the text. The story takes place in New Orleans and this person apparently new the city/lingo better than the author because they went through and corrected spellings, city names, directions, etc. I know it's too late to ask for the credit back and I probably wouldn't have anyways.

On to my question, since all these notes are in pencil, should I just erase them and repost it, or would it still be unpostable. There are currently no copies posted in the system and I'm sure eventualy someone would want it. But how often have you come across books not with notes, but with corrections? Is there a better way to pass this book on? I'm worried if I try to erase them I'd miss some. I just don't know the best way to go about reposting.

Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions.

I've erased penciled-in names out of books that I posted for trade, knowing they would have been postable even with the name, so I wasn't worried about it and did it more out of respect for the previous owner's privacy, but I've never tried to erase pencl on text pages.  My concern would be that it might also remove some of the page's ink.  I don't know.... I'd probably try it anyway, since I think it would be a stretch to use the textbook exclusion for writing.  If it comes off cleanly, great, if not, I wouldn't have reposted it anyway with the writing.

Use one of those really soft erasers and use a gentle hand , but if the words are etched into the text it may still be unpostable. Try it and ask someone else to look the pages over . No harm in trying.

I would say if you can erase the markings without damaging the text then they're postable. 

How about using the textbook exemption and getting approval from the receiver before sending?

http://www.paperbackswap.com/help/help_item.php?id=611

Yes, I would go with the textbook exemption for this, specially considering the notes as facts!

I think if you can erase it cleanly then it is 100% postable.

And if not, then do the post and PM thing under the "books with writing" rules.

I would erase also. That whole "textbook" thing irritates the hell out of me and I would personally refuse anyone who sent a PM and asked about it...unless of course it was a copy of an actual textbook...which I wouldn't be requesting anyway. LOL

Cheryl

I would double check that it isn't an ARC.....

Ohhhhh- you got a book from one of those obsessive-compulsive types!   It bothers me when I see typos and misspells too, but I would never write in the book!

Definitely not an ARC. It's the first three books of the series bound into one book. It looks like someone took it upon themselves to correct the author's use of street names and other New Orleans related information.

Some authors change that information on purpose. Because no matter how factual you think you are some reader will correct you.

I'd see if it could be erased, there are gummy type stuffs that professionals use to remove pencil from library books.  Kneaded erasers by Sanford corporation.
They will get anything off the page and should not lighten the text.  But if the wriitng as indented the page I'd not post it.

I'm going to try but I'll probably just go post the book in the Book Bazaar. It doesn't have any wishers right now but there also are not any copies posted at this time so maybe someone will want it despite the "corrections". 

For some reason this made me think of several books I read in elementary school, I went to parochial school and often times certain words would be blacked out in the books we read. :( I say just leave it be unless it really hampers the reading experience.