by Carina
Annotation is a fun and beneficial process for readers because it makes books more enjoyable, memorable, engaging, and makes it easier to navigate notes. Personally, annotating has helped me enjoy and remember what I’m reading better, and it has even motivated me to keep reading a book. While many enjoy it, some don’t understand the benefits of annotating, so they’re hesitant to try. Additionally, annotating can seem intimidating and difficult at times. So today, I will be explaining the positives of annotating and some methods of doing it.
Why people annotate books
First of all, let’s talk about why people annotate books. Annotating and taking notes on a book can help readers find moments they liked, ask questions, and reflect on the stories that can change so much about their lives and ways of thinking. Many people annotate quotes, actions, and ideas they find interesting so they can find them again in the future. It’s also a great way to make reading a book more engaging. Furthermore, annotating can help you form more in-depth thoughts and ideas about what you’re reading, and lead to a deeper enjoyment of a book. Some people also enjoy the aesthetic side of annotating, so they might match the color of their tools to the book cover and make neat notes. Oftentimes I will use my annotations to help me remember things that happened throughout a book so I can write reviews, summaries, and answer questions later. This is especially useful for class assignments and research. Sometimes the thrill of being able to connect and track my thoughts with annotation makes me more excited to read.
How to annotate
Now we’ll talk about different methods of annotating. Some people are fine with writing in their books, so they use pens, highlighters, and pencils. They typically use these tools to underline, circle, highlight, and write notes about what they’re reading. For example, if you liked a quote you could underline or highlight it, and then write about it in the margins.
Others prefer to keep their books in pristine condition, so they use sticky notes, tabs/page markers, index highlighters, etc. Sticky notes can be used to take notes, page markers are used to mark parts of the passage, and index highlighters are similar to highlighters but in sticky note form. There are also transparent sticky notes, which can be used to write on while still being able to see the text under it. With these tools, you could mark an important event and then write about it on a sticky note. Depending on the brand, you can also write on the page markers and index highlighters. You could also combine these methods, for example, marking a paragraph with page markers, breaking it down with highlighters, pens, and pencils, then writing about it on a sticky note or in the margins.
Lastly, let’s discuss some important tips before you get started. Many readers like to create a reference of what different types and colors of annotations mean. For example, different colored page markers could represent different things such as funny things, emotional moments, interesting quotes, questions, happy moments, etc. In addition, underlining, circling, and highlighting could have different meanings. You’ll also have to decide when in your reading you prefer to annotate. Some people see something and decide to mark it immediately, whereas others like to read ahead a few pages to get the full context. It’s also helpful to experiment with methods of annotation to find what you like best.
I hope this article has shown you that annotating has many benefits and can improve your reading experience. Now that you know how to annotate, start experimenting! Decide what you want to gain from your annotations, whether you’re willing to write on your books or not, and how much you want to commit to it. And most importantly, have fun with it!
References
Maya. “Why I Started Annotating Books.” Medium, 19 May 2023, medium.com/@mayawrycza/why-i-started-annotating-books-138f63693c83. Accessed 2024.
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