Sounds like a pretty errorful book you're reading. Must have annoyed someone no end.

However, writing in any book, even your own, to my mind should never be in ink; though I have been known to put small, faint marks in pencil in the odd library book.

Dido

I've corrected misspellings in my own books, but in a library book? Never!

The worst offender I've encountered was a book club edition of ...And Ladies of the Club that I bought the year it first came out. There seemed to be errors on every other page. It distracted me no end, so I do understand what might drive a reader to make corrections.

I feel that when you borrow a library book certain rules must apply.
--NEVER write in the book, even corrections
--NEVER make dogears
--NEVER spill on the book or handle it with dirty hands
--NEVER tear pages or break the spine
--NEVER leave water damage (so don't read in the tub!!)

Why anyone would think that something borrowed can be abused is beyond me.
Would they want a book that they loaned to a friend to be treated like that?

Their library card should be burned and their name posted on a wall of shame !!

I volunteer in a library once a week. All the books are wrapped in a plastic cover. It's amazing how many books come back with sand under the plastic jacket. I don't mind that so much. It just makes me wonder why the books have so much better vacations than I do. When I get a sandy book, I just slip it out of the cover, shake it off and re-wrap. I'm very good at that because I worked in a library for nine years and one of my duties was putting on the plastic jackets.

Writing in a library book is not to be tolerated!

In our local library lots of people put their initials on the back inside cover, I think this is so that they know that they have read it. I would class it as defacing a book.

I read a book recently where the I was put in on the lower case as i, this was corrected by a reader, however on reading thru the writer in the first person said they were having trouble with the i so from them on it was left alone by the reader!!

Dido, there were not that many errors. I just got annoyed after the first half-dozen inked in alterations and edgy about seeing more.
I also get annoyed when people circle a particular page number (possibly their birthday or year?) in a library book to indicate they have read it. This is similar to initialling, as Junek mentioned.
Writers sometimes do odd things for effect which could make a reader think there has been a printer's error. One of Kate Fenton's books breaks off halfway down the page. This had me wondering what had happened until I continued reading and found the reason for this.
Dedtired, very funny about the books on vacation! I used to have that job too and after a while, could do it on autopilot and semi-nap at the same time! Did you use that plastic cover with the brown paper backing? I must have used up miles off the rolls it came in.

Hmmm....circle a particular page number (possibly their birthday or year?)

Very clever, very creative.....but still a NO NO !

If they are such voracious readers perhaps these people need to invest in a small notebook in which they write down the books they have read. Arrange these alphbetically by author and then they will have the security of assurance that they are not in danger of reading a book twice ! ??????

There is a woman frequently seen at local book sales who does this. She is a kind of squirrelly little thing and is constantly hunkered over her little notebook (neatly printed by hand) to double check a paperback before actually putting it in her bag.
It always seems so strangely compulsive to me, however efficient.

Annpan, yes, that was the stuff. Probably came from Gaylord. It seems like the majority of library supplies came from them.

Actually, writing your initials or whatever mark you choose to remind yourself that you've already read this book doesn't strike me as so bad. When my mother in law was bedridden, I took large print mysteries to her by the dozens. I used to make a small mark in the back so I knew what she had already read. It was on the same page as the pocket for the date card was glued, so the page was already less than pristine.

I remember some people doing this and also adding a "review" such as "A+" or "PU".

Here's my latest peeve. My library now puts the bar code on the front cover of the book -- on the plastic cover. Whoever puts them on does not always consider what they are covering. I just read Nemesis by Philip Roth and the title (in smallish print) was nearly obliterated.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Rage, rage against the waning of civility.

Q: Do people still whisper in libraries?
Are they required to turn off their cellphones?
Are children being taught these behaviors?

Cell phones are allowed in my library, although I objected mightily! Most people are courteous enough to step into the lobby.

People don't whisper, but do keep their voices down. Most of the children are charming and adorable when they hand over their card to check out books.

Just came back from my volunteer stint. Actually, the employees who accession the books make more written marks on them than the patrons. I did notice some dates written on the occasional back page.

yoyobon:

We do have whisperers, but we also have residents of a nearby adult shelter who come in-they are for the most part very friendly and cheerful and love looking at the children's picture books-and they are LOUD.

We do not require cell phones are off, but if they ring we do send people outside to talk. Some are offended. We shrug nicely.

Depends on the parents. As a teacher, I have no hesitation saying "please pick up that book" or "please walk" or "please whisper" or "please do not pound on the keyboard" if no one else has said it. We sort of operate on the two beat rule:
behavior we don't want...
wait two beats to see if parent is going to say anything...
say something.

I very often find Swedish translations added in English language books from the library and the unknown English word underlined. Very irritating but I have learnt that the culprit has usually given up looking up words in the dictionary after the third page so I read as fast as I can to page 4.