Monday 26 October 2009

Musing Mondays: Note Taking


Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by Rebecca at Just One More Page.

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about note taking…


Do you take notes while reading – either for your reviews or for yourself? How/where do you make these notes (on the page, post-its, scrap paper, notebooks etc)?


It depends. If I own the book I tend to deface it quite a bit, i.e. I underline and write in the margin. It helps me think. I also flag things with little post it notes (memo to self must buy new little post its). Although I started doing this with my current read and then realised that I couldn't keep going with it. I was flagging to many things. I love Pratchett. If it is a library book I don't write in it. Instead I use post its. Little ones to flag and bigger ones to take notes on and stick on the page.

I started writing in books after first being told by my high school Swedish teacher to do it and it really helps. Then I was told again in two different books: The Well-Educated Mind and How to Read a Book. Both these books talk about the importance of marking your book in order to take part in the great conversation that reading is. How to Read a Book is one of my current reads and in addition to writing, underlining and generally talking to the book in the book I also take notes in a notebook. The book has so much good information that I really want to "mine" it.

When it comes to audiobooks I obviously can't write in the margin so for them I write in a notebook I always carry in my bag. It helps me to remember things I want to write in my reviews.

I also like going back and finding my notes from before. It makes me think about things again.

 
This picture was taken early this year. These books have a lot more notes and post its now. These are my anthologies for college.

Personally I always encourage people to make notes. It is up to each individual on how they make them but my students will be encouraged to make notes. It helps in thinking.  

Disclaimer: I am an Amazon Associate, clicking on the book links above takes you to Amazon. If you buy the books I get a small percentage. So far I got nuthin.

5 comments:

caite said...

I can not write in a book. Just can not do it...

I find note taking useless because my handwriting is almost unreadable.
I am not a notetaker, largely for that reason.

I am a Post-it pointer, using those little post-it flags to mark certain points, some of which actually prove useful and make sense when I look back at them!

The Book Resort said...

I just can't write in a book either :(.

Here's mine:

http://thebookresort.blogspot.com/2009/10/musing-mondays.html

CeeCee said...

Notes do help me think, but I never thought of it as a conversation. I'm going to look for How to Read a Book. Thanks.

Cackleberry Homestead said...

I don't write in my books, I use a notebook - but if it's what you like to do, then more power to you. I'm definitely going to check out How To Read a Book - that sounds really interesting.

I used to write in my college books when taking notes.

kayerj said...

How to read a book? I think there is a book for everything. If you want to wander down my road I’m home.