Chris Higgins
Do You Remove Book Jackets?
by Chris Higgins - January 29, 2010 - 3:31 PM

Book Jacket

I’m going on the record right now: I hate book jackets.* These thin paper protectors look pretty in the store, and they help to differentiate books visually. But practically speaking, I can’t stand them — too easy to tear, lose, or crumple! And if there’s one thing I hate, it’s a torn or crumpled piece of paper.

My friend Lyza recently asked the question of her readers: Do you remove book jackets? She included a survey in her blog entry, and the current winning answer, by a mile, is “Yes, Always.” Many commenters (myself included) say how they save the jacket, but during reading, it’s outta there. Lyza writes:

I find that, though decorative, book jackets get in the way. They fall off. Or they get squashed or bent, which makes me all tense. Sometimes I do like to use one flap of a book jacket as an ersatz bookmark, tucking it in to mark my page, but that’s its only functional purpose, and stops working so well if I’m any good distance into the book. Also, it gives me the clenches when the book I’m reading has a book jacket that is starting to migrate, get out of line, stick up above the edges of my book. Am I just weird? How do you deal with book jackets?

So How About You?

How do you handle book jackets? I encourage you to take Lyza’s survey, and let the discussion commence in the comments!

* = Library book jackets are one exception. Covered in protective plastic and physically attached to the book, I actually kinda like them.

(Image from Flickr user delgaudm, used under Creative Commons license.)

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Comments (60)

  1. I am not a fan of dust jackets, especially since they don’t even cover the part of the book most likely to collect dust-the top! I don’t go out of my way to remove dust jackets, but they tend to be demolished (thanks to my daughter) relatively fast anyway.

    posted by Kate on 1-29-2010 at 3:34 pm

  2. Book jackets really annoy me but I have this OCD thing where I have to leave them on while I read the book or I feel like I am reading an empty,non existant, random or title-less book. I don’t know how to describe this. With the book jacket on I feel like it gives me more purpose to read the book.

    posted by Emma on 1-29-2010 at 3:36 pm

  3. I always remove them! I read what the book is about and then it comes off! They will fall off anyways, or just get in the way.

    Plus I just like how the book looks without the cover on it! ;-)

    posted by Molly on 1-29-2010 at 3:39 pm

  4. I remove them to read the book and then put them back on before I put it away on the bookshelf.

    posted by Gussiebuns on 1-29-2010 at 3:40 pm

  5. I always remove them. I also dog-ear my pages and bend paperbacks in half, cracking the spine (if I own the book). I like it when books look like they’ve actually been read.

    posted by Katie on 1-29-2010 at 3:43 pm

  6. I like them, but like them to stay nice. For things like coffee table books my wife will take them off and leave them sitting around to get crinkled while she reads, which drives me nuts. I’m like “Put that someplace safe!” Guess I’m a little OCD myself.

    posted by EV on 1-29-2010 at 3:46 pm

  7. I keep them on to serve as bookmarks. I guess they don’t bother me.

    posted by AHI on 1-29-2010 at 3:48 pm

  8. I’m with gussiebuns

    funny, I just had this conversation with my girlfriend a few days ago

    reCaptcha: sunshine market (I want to go there!)

    posted by chris on 1-29-2010 at 3:53 pm

  9. The Library where I work removes them, and it drives me crazy – sooo hard to judge the book if there’s no cover!!

    But being a fiscally-challenged public servant, most of the books I read are borrowed, paperback, or on the Kindle.

    posted by Julie on 1-29-2010 at 3:58 pm

  10. I do most of my book shopping at library sales, so I often judge a book by the spine of the jacket. Other than that I have no use for book jackets. They get in the way while reading and end up rumpled or ripped. I also think bookshelves have a cleaner look without them. I do keep all my jackets stored in a box in case I change my mind and get rid of a book. The next owner might not share my prejudice.

    posted by CamilleR on 1-29-2010 at 4:00 pm

  11. The absolute dumbest place for book jackets are children’s books. They last 10 seconds with a 3 year old.

    posted by Robert on 1-29-2010 at 4:00 pm

  12. Mine stay on, and they almost never get damaged. Like AHI, I frequently use them as bookmarks. Given the choice, I prefer a jacket, though I’m not sure why. The book just seems more complete with it.

    If I took them off to read the book, I’d lose them (or that’s when they’d get damaged!)

    posted by Karen on 1-29-2010 at 4:00 pm

  13. I only buy paperbacks!

    posted by Craig on 1-29-2010 at 4:01 pm

  14. the only time i leave them on is when my book is really good and then i put it on backwards so it cause the people around me to ask firstly why i’m reading my book upside down and secondly what my book is about. then i tell them how good a book it is and how they should read it.

    posted by Allison on 1-29-2010 at 4:02 pm

  15. I remove the book jackets before I read the book. Especially, if it is a book like Harry Potter. Those book jackets are like artwork to me. I would rather not get those messed up. I normally just put them on my bookshelf until I am done reading, then I put them back on.

    posted by Chelsea G. on 1-29-2010 at 4:15 pm

  16. @ Gussiebuns: ditto.

    posted by megan on 1-29-2010 at 4:16 pm

  17. I agree about Library-plastic bookjackets being the exception. Love that crinkle when I open it up!
    Other than that, I don’t usually remove them but I do get annoyed when they get damaged. I’m reading an old 2nd-hand book right now without a cover and I think people think I’m reading the bible on the train. I seem to always have an empty seat next to me too…

    posted by ab on 1-29-2010 at 4:24 pm

  18. If it’s a borrowed book and the jacket’s already trashed, I use it as a bookmark; otherwise, it’s gone. I’ve never been a fan of them (while reading the book). Like others have mentioned, I like it to stay nice and neat so that the book looks good on the shelf… ho-hum…

    posted by ann on 1-29-2010 at 4:29 pm

  19. I also remove them just for reading.

    I don’t like them mostly because they tend to slip, and the book never stays where I want it…must be how I hold books.

    posted by Andy on 1-29-2010 at 4:31 pm

  20. I remove them to read the book, but put them back on when the book goes on the shelf for display …

    posted by katie on 1-29-2010 at 4:31 pm

  21. I keep them on – at least until I’ve finished reading the book, as I find the flaps make pretty good bookmarks :)

    posted by Krista on 1-29-2010 at 4:34 pm

  22. I remove mine and store them somewhere. I have a few first editions, and I know if I ever want to sell them, the jacket is important for the value. Also, aesthetically I like my bookshelf without the jackets.

    Allison, I love your idea. I may just steal it.

    posted by Rachel on 1-29-2010 at 4:35 pm

  23. I remove them to read the book and replace them once they go back on the shelf. I also take them off if I loan the book out, that way I remember that its missing

    posted by hockey zombie on 1-29-2010 at 4:49 pm

  24. I guess I am in the minority that appreciates the book jacket. I actually buy those plastic covers from a library supply store and put them on my books. I like the way they look and feel. Plus, they keep my books in great shape!

    posted by Brian on 1-29-2010 at 5:04 pm

  25. I have never been bothered by book jackets. Unless it is an older book with a fragile jacket, I jsut leave it on while I read.

    I work in a library and I can’t say I agree about the library book jackets though. Have you ever tried to remove one after some jerk took it to the beach so you can get the sand out of the cover, then tried to put it back on? Those covers are the biggest pain in the neck to put on!

    ReCAPTCHA: Rhodesian Crooner

    posted by Heather on 1-29-2010 at 5:23 pm

  26. ab-
    i get the same reaction when i read a book with no jacket at my local coffee shop, you would be surprised how little you get bothered when people think you are reading the Bible, ahh nice and quiet :)

    recaptcha: qualified cookouts….yeah look out for all those dangerous unqualified ones

    posted by lindseyc on 1-29-2010 at 5:39 pm

  27. Yes. I remove them immediately. I hate them. I hate them so much I wanted to log an answer to Lyza’s survey repeatedly. I did not, btw…in the interest of fairness and accuracy.

    But, did I mention how much I hate book jackets?

    posted by BG on 1-29-2010 at 6:36 pm

  28. btw…I like my men the same way.

    ;-)

    posted by BG on 1-29-2010 at 6:38 pm

  29. Absolutely, I remove them while reading, but retain them for storage. But in general, I prefer paperbacks.

    What’s the point of a torn dust jacket?

    @ julie – very funny

    ReCaptcha – Robin booked

    posted by Big Jonny on 1-29-2010 at 7:07 pm

  30. Yes. And now my books all have weird stripes on the covers from fading.

    posted by Antinous on 1-29-2010 at 7:28 pm

  31. I remove all dust jackets and recycle them as soon as they are in my possession. The only exception are some of my husband’s books. If the jacket is still nice on all of them, in a set if applicable, I’ve kept them. For now.

    posted by Joy on 1-29-2010 at 8:28 pm

  32. I leave them on and use the flap as a bookmark, as I hate dog-earing hardcovers and I always seem to lose my bookmarks…

    posted by Tony on 1-29-2010 at 8:33 pm

  33. No I don’t remove the book jackets they don’t bother me much. I do like that they keep the dust off of the book I guess that what they are for.

    posted by Kari on 1-29-2010 at 9:19 pm

  34. I remove them while reading. After reading I replace the jacket and cherish them.

    posted by clint on 1-29-2010 at 9:28 pm

  35. Dustjackets off for reading and lending. I leave them on top of the books in the bookshelf and put them back on when I put the book away. I don’t like how they slide an get rumpled when you read with them on and when I’ve lent a book out I have an empty jacket to remind me.

    posted by Lisa H on 1-29-2010 at 10:48 pm

  36. I’m with Molly. They drive me nuts, go in the recycle bin as soon as I get home from the book store. I also like how they look without the jacket, plain with just the title on the spine. But I do love the laminated ones from the library.

    posted by Stephanie on 1-29-2010 at 11:15 pm

  37. I can’t remember the last time I purchased a book with a jacket. I’m all about the paperbacks.
    I did have to read a romance novel for an American Pop Culture class last semester – I took the jacket off of that one if I was hauling it around campus.

    posted by Danielle on 1-29-2010 at 11:29 pm

  38. I throw them away – I’ve always found dust jackets annoying. To me, the book looks the way it’s supposed to without the jacket – simple, elegant, with just a title and author on the spine, maybe something embossed on the front. I’ve always pictured the author putting his whole book together, setting up the nice hardcover this way, and then some marketing guy getting hold of it and fashioning a gaudy, garish, eye-catching jacket to cover it up; much to the author’s dismay.

    I’m surprised that so many people keep them. I think my bookshelf looks lovely without them.

    posted by cb315 on 1-29-2010 at 11:38 pm

  39. I prefer the bookjacket, mostly because the inside flap makes a handy bookmark when I am too lazy to find a real bookmark! It has slipped out before, but otherwise they are pretty useless.

    posted by Marty on 1-29-2010 at 11:56 pm

  40. i really don’t like them… i also hate messing with the book… you know folding pages, writing on it… always hated it cuz it ruins the book for me…
    lol recaptcha participation burping :P

    posted by Cassy on 1-30-2010 at 12:17 am

  41. I use the flaps as a bookmark sometimes, but I mostly bust out a roll of double-stick tape and tape the flaps to the book very precisely so the cover isn’t crooked. That annoys me :)

    recaptcha: jumbled california

    Ahh, so true…

    posted by Samantha on 1-30-2010 at 1:39 am

  42. The jackets don’t usually bother me, but if they slip a lot, i just tape them to the book. Not too hard.

    posted by Kagami on 1-30-2010 at 1:41 am

  43. I love book jackets, they are my favorite part of the hardcover book. My brother has ruined a lot of my book jackets and the book inside, to the the point where I’m thinking about charging a rental fee and ban my books from leaving the house.

    posted by Anne on 1-30-2010 at 2:16 am

  44. I ALWAYS take them off while reading the book, then “redress” it when I put it back on the shelf.

    posted by Anne-Marie on 1-30-2010 at 7:26 am

  45. If it’s not a library book jacket, I get rid of it. My mom hates that about me, but tough.

    posted by Sara in AL on 1-30-2010 at 11:19 am

  46. I don’t like them either. But I do regret the one day a few years ago when I suddenly decided to just get rid of them all from my collection for good– a lot of them had pretty good artwork and I should have saved them, maybe to display or use as wrapping paper or something. My husband, though, actually likes them and he gets irritated when I pull them off of his books.

    posted by Louise on 1-30-2010 at 12:37 pm

  47. @Samantha
    LOL that’s so true yet I love living here anyway :)

    posted by Cassy on 1-30-2010 at 12:49 pm

  48. When reading a hard cover, I leave them on. I am switching to e-books, as should all you OCD’s out there.

    posted by gus on 1-30-2010 at 12:50 pm

  49. A dustjacket has to be REALLY messed up before I take one off. I don’t notice them while reading, except when I’m closing the book — and then the flap makes for a handy bookmark. And while the ranks of the more muted spines of denuded books might appeal to many people’s tastes, they’d be hell for me; finding a specific title amongst my groaning shelves is hard enough as it is!

    posted by VM on 1-30-2010 at 1:38 pm

  50. I guess I’ve never even considered taking them off of a book. They just don’t bother me.

    posted by Mrs. Coffee on 1-30-2010 at 8:25 pm

  51. It depends on whether you plan on selling the book afterward. The value of a rare volume is typically higher if the book jacket is intact.

    posted by Romeo Vitelli on 1-31-2010 at 12:19 am

  52. I agree with Romeo Vitelli–if you are a book collector, hang onto that book jacket and keep it in good condition. Frequently I will remove the dust jacket and keep it on a shelf with other jackets to prevent damage, and/or I’ll put an untaped mylar cover over it to protect it.

    Book jackets can add an astounding amount to the value of a book. I used to work in a public library where my mother was in charge of the shelving department (it was a BIG library). She was puzzled by a rash of disappearing book covers in the fiction section. One in particular I recall was Sue Grafton’s book, “A is for Alibi”. At that time, the first edition hardcover edition of that book WITHOUT the book jacket was about $20. The first edition WITH the book jacket was worth about $800. Original condition is key to a book’s value. It was likely that someone had the hardcovers with no book jackets, and was stealing our first edition book jackets to add value to their books.

    The incidents stopped, by the way, after our department started putting the library stamp and class marks on the book jacket itself. We didn’t discard the jackets because they provided valuable info about the book, and often if someone is browsing, they will pick up the book based on an interesting book jacket.

    posted by Brigid on 1-31-2010 at 8:16 am

  53. I always remove the cover and put it back on the shelf where the book normally goes. Also when the book is shelved, it’s got the dust jacket on. I always take it off because the edges get wrinkled when I take it in and out of my bag.

    posted by Tricia on 1-31-2010 at 10:18 am

  54. I will use them as bookmarks…it still works when you get deep into the book, you just switch to the back flap. I have a set of Steinbeck paperbacks that have the flap built into the cover, I find that particularly annoying.

    posted by Thomas on 2-1-2010 at 5:48 am

  55. I oversee processing at the library where I work – I love covering dust jackets and I love how replacing a 20 year old clear cover takes a frumpy looking book and makes it look inviting again. But at home, I always take dust jackets off while I’m reading, and when I buy books at the thrift store, I always toss the (grody) dust jacekts.

    posted by vegebrarian on 2-1-2010 at 11:06 am

  56. Funny, that problem came up a few weeks ago. I buy paperbacks or rent from the library unless it’s a book I *have* to have before it hits paperback (read: Harry Potter books or (most recently) the Sookie Stackhouse series). In that case, I put the cover away (on the shelf is a good idea, but I don’t have any more room!), read the book w/o it and put the cover on when I’m done to put on the shelf (or floor by my bed).

    I love book covers – I appreciate the simple print on the spine, but a lot of covers are genuine works of art(Harry Potter covers, obvi) and if I love a book enough to buy it, chances are I’m committed enough to want to own the art that goes with it. That and I just paid however much for a hard cover book, I’m going to keep it nice and appreciate EVERY damn detail of my purchase.

    recapthca: “moral decisions” — I dunno if it’s all THAT serious, though…

    posted by OkieMelissa on 2-1-2010 at 1:47 pm

  57. I use the flaps as a bookmark.

    That said, I really prefer to read books in Trade Paper rather than hardcover.

    posted by Jacquilynne on 2-1-2010 at 7:23 pm

  58. I totally throw them away as soon as I get home. But it make it hard if I then try to sell the book or give it to someone.

    posted by Monique on 5-21-2010 at 11:37 am

  59. Intresting comments and I would have to say I like book jackets but do not like how they are designed to simply blanket around the cover so loosely…I place a dab of transparent tape on the back and front to take care of this.

    On another note, I have curiousity about whether people like to advertise what they are reading for which ever of the many reasons?

    Personaly, I like to see what a cewrtain someone is reading to understand if it is a title I am aware of or perhaps get a sence of if the book really is a “best seller”.

    Anyone else?

    -Sandro

    posted by Sandro on 6-8-2010 at 8:16 am

  60. I take the jackets off while I’m reading and leave it stuck between books on my shelf. That way it doesn’t bother me, and I know where it goes when I’m done. Plus, it makes me lose focus on the story when I have a book in public and I can see other people reading the cover.

    posted by Kyle on 7-14-2011 at 4:14 pm

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