I've always wondered why people that ask to borrow a book can't buy one for themselves. Books are not that expensive. The last time I was asked to borrow a book I could say it's on my Kindle. Amazon lets you share a book for 14 days then poof it's taken away and back to you. But I don't volunteer that info if not known.

I use the same policy when lending out books I do with lending money. I never lend anything that I really need back. However, If a person I borrow money or belonging too, brings them back....I will lend things to them again but still be cautious until I repeatedly get things back, then I MAY lend them something I really want back. I also keep a list of things borrowed and to who on my refrigerator and let them know, I have a list and I also mark my name on things lent.

Someone once advised me to keep the dust cover from a book if I lend it. So, I did just that and for years following, waved the dust cover in front of the person who had borrowed the book to no avail.

I once lent a set of CDs that had cost me $600 and they were never returned, although six years later the woman who had them acknowledged that she was still looking for them.

Now, if I put a book of mine into the hands of another person, I consider it given, not lent. I've bought several copies of the same book in order to do this with some of my favourites.

Wow what's wrong with people not paying for the borrowed books and items that they acknowledge but lost, ruinned, or gave away? Yep I'll stick to my fast and immediate response of I don't loan my books. . They have no response to that.

I did mention that a borrower make a "deposit" for the cost of a borrowed book. The book comes back in the same condition it was borrowed - the borrower gets the money back. I think it would definitely enhance a borrower's memory.

The lender would give the borrower some sort of receipt acknowledging that the borrower has this money on deposit until the book/item is returned.

It might be tacky, but "forgetting" to return an item is tacky, also.

Wow, i read that book back in the day. Just don't ask me anything about it.

Interesting take on everyone’s thoughts and practices. I do loan a book from time to time to one of my best quilting friends. She has always given them back (2 so far) in a timely fashion and in the same great shape she received them.

That being said, if I ever feel the need to borrow something more than once or for more than just a couple of days, I will just go ahead and purchase one for myself…whether it be a book or a sander or a ladder, etc. (yes, I have my own tools for working on my old house)

I keep a spread sheet of who got what. So if I need it back for something I know where it has gone. I do loan out some of my dies for my Accuquilt but they are loaned out for only a couple weeks at a time and to people I trust. I have not had any problem getting books or dies back.

Good idea to keep a written/computerized record of where things are.

I have learned that people's memories - including my own - are faulty.

I lost 2 books due to “lending them.” I don’t know if the people thought I said ‘hey keep this’ or what. Very rude. For some dumb reason, I never had the nerve to ask about getting them back. They were people I worked with and didn’t know them very well. Lesson learned: only lend out things you don’t care if they are returned or not.