Poll

I am really surprised I am the only person so far that throws it away. Brian and I were arguing about this, hence the poll. Hmmm.

It's a part of the book to me. It is in the way when I read, but to throw it away would feel kind of like throwing away the book itself. Plus, the book on the shelf looks better in a dust jacket.

I have thrown one dust jacket away and that was because it was in such horrible condition it was non-repairable and throwing it away killed me to do. I agree with Brian the dust jacket is like part of the book and if it's thrown away it's like throwing away the whole book and that's just wrong.

I take the dust jacket off when I get a hardcover book adn I keep them all together and i am slowly framing them all and hanging them in my book room!~ :)

Jessica B wrote: "I take the dust jacket off when I get a hardcover book adn I keep them all together and i am slowly framing them all and hanging them in my book room!~ :)"

That's cool

I can never part with my dust jacket. It's part of the book. But if my sister reads them, then I take it off because she didn't know how to care for the covers. Sad sad :(

I hate the way they slide while I'm reading. I try to put them back, but I've lost a few over the years. I only throw them out if they're falling apart.

I always keep my dust jacket on and I won't buy a used book if the dust jacket is missing or damaged. I like to use my dust jacket to mark my place in the book.

I prefer to keep vintage books in their dust jackets, and modern books out of them.

I use either the front or back flap as a bookmark, depending on where I am in the book. I would never throw them away, I feel it helps to keep the book in good condition.

Lostshadows wrote: "I hate the way they slide while I'm reading. I try to put them back, but I've lost a few over the years. I only throw them out if they're falling apart."

Exactly! Finally someone else who feel the same way. My issue is that I forget where I put them when I go to put them back on...

If it is a classic, I will typically throw it away so I can use the actually book for decoration. I think they look better without the dust jacket when used for that purpose. If it is not a classic, I will take it off while reading, then put it back on when read and then shelved.

I have a collection of framed dust jackets for children's books I especially love. Some are from my childhood, like the copy of Green Eggs And Ham that was one of the very first books I owned; others are books I read to the preschool classes I taught, or to my niece and nephew when they were small. All have memories attached, and are beautiful!

Does anyone use the inner flaps as bookmarks or is it just me? Haha

Patsy wrote: "I use either the front or back flap as a bookmark, depending on where I am in the book. I would never throw them away, I feel it helps to keep the book in good condition."

Me too!

Chantal wrote: "I am really surprised I am the only person so far that throws it away. Brian and I were arguing about this, hence the poll. Hmmm."

Oh horror! ;) How can you throw it away? It's part of the book!!!

I leave it on, once I threw it away because it was ripped, torn and cracked everywhere

I wrap my books in plastic so they don't get dirty and damaged. Those with dust jackets, get the jackets wrapped with cellophane for the same reason.

It depends, I often take it off but that's when I get to a certain point, to a point I use it as a book mark XD

I use the flap as a bookmark!

I use those multi-coloured demo paint strip things you find in the wall paint section of the shop as a book mark.

I used to keep them on while I was reading, but then I figured I was making them look worse, sometimes accidentally tearing them while I was reading, and they were hella annoying when they slid off the bottom when I was holding them. I eventually just put the jackets of the books I'm reading on a section of my bookshelf and put them back on when I'm done reading. I also like hard-backs more than paperbacks, so it's really convenient when I'm reading and I'm never going back to keeping the jackets on!

I always leave them on. The flaps are good as bookmarks, and the jacket itself helps protect against damage. Paradoxically, I don't like it when the jacket gets damaged, thus defeating the purpose of having it.

Jessica B wrote: "I take the dust jacket off when I get a hardcover book adn I keep them all together and i am slowly framing them all and hanging them in my book room!~ :)"

book room?

Jessica B wrote: "I take the dust jacket off when I get a hardcover book adn I keep them all together and i am slowly framing them all and hanging them in my book room!~ :)""

I wish I had a book room. I just have a book cupboard (ex linen closet), because my book shelves are full. ;)

I used to leave them on and then I saw my younger brother taking them off so they wouldn't get ruined in his bag. And I suddenly realized I could take them off - and make reading less of a pain as well as not ruining them. I blame my lack of realizing I could take it off as rooted in the enormous amount of library books I read growing up (~100 every summer) and how the dust cover is taped or glued on.

Chantal wrote: "I am really surprised I am the only person so far that throws it away. Brian and I were arguing about this, hence the poll. Hmmm."

I throw it away. They are too fragile and end up getting torn and looking bad. Maybe it will be fine if you just sit it on your shelf, but move a few times and it is done for. I hate dust covers. I like the actual cover to be printed. That will last.

I love book covers, but they are annoying while reading. So I take 'em off while reading. But I don't throw them away because without it, there's like nothing on the front. right? So why would you throw it away? Plus it's pretty. I like having it on -just not when I'm reading (it keeps flapping outwards)

The throw away option made me lol.

I hardly buy hard cover books anymore. If I buy them, it's because of the beautiful dust jackets. I take them off before I read the book and once I am done I give the book away and I would keep the dust jacket as a souvenir.

Seriously, the dust jacket makes a great bookmark. simply use the inside flap to mark your page. front flap if less than halfway, back flap if more than halfway.

I always keep the dust jacket. I can't stand to see hardcover books without them. Ebooks aren't any substitute for the real thing, not to mention you don't own the book.

Matthew wrote: "I used to keep them on while I was reading, but then I figured I was making them look worse, sometimes accidentally tearing them while I was reading, and they were hella annoying when they slid off..."

I do this too; I occasionally leave the jacket on and berate myself after it's been knocked about in my bag. With my collectable books I make sure I always remove the jacket, but I'm actually considering buying some plastic protectors for them as I want to keep them in good condition - they have lovely art on the covers, the series is renowned for it:



Some of the volumes I have do have plastic protectors already and those have stayed in very good condition and look great on the shelf, so I'd like to do the same for the others, particularly the ones with slightly damaged jackets.

I keep it on when I read, unless it's particularly loose and keeps slipping half off at every turn of a page, at which point I will take it off and put it back in place once I'm finished reading. It's a part of the book, I'd feel bad throwing it away before it's in shreds due to much use.

Am I the only one who thinks dust jackets are cheap? I'd much rather have a great cover pasted on the board of a hard-cover novel.

Whaaaat?! I'm shocked and (please don't hate) kind of revolted that people would throw away the dust jackets! I never even considered that as a possibility, and just found out today that it's done! For me, it's a part of the book. Like many others, I take it off when I begin reading the book, and keep it safely somewhere I know not a fold will form. Then I replace it once I'm done with the book and put it on display on my bookshelf.

Sometimes I like the looks of dust covers but there is nothing more beautiful than the actual book. I agree that I think they look cheap although they do serve a purpose. 50% of my books have the covers the rest don't. I'm thinking of getting rid of all of them but I like Kelly's idea of if its a classic throw it away and if its a modern book to keep it.

Carolyn wrote: "Sometimes I like the looks of dust covers but there is nothing more beautiful than the actual book. I agree that I think they look cheap although they do serve a purpose. 50% of my books have the..."

My problem with saving them for classics, and not newer books is that if the newer book becomes a classic, you no longer have the cover...

Ron wrote: "Seriously, the dust jacket makes a great bookmark. simply use the inside flap to mark your page. front flap if less than halfway, back flap if more than halfway."

Isn't that what turning page corners are for? I love a book that looks (and is) well used.

I'm crazy ocd about dust jackets. A few years ago I sold my Wheel of Time hardbacks. Book 1 had a crled dust jacket and it cost me £50 on the sale but I had the original dust jacket for book 2 ( they changed it on second printing ) and did quite well from that.

I like to take a chance on new authors and hardback first editions. Gaylord dust jacket protectors are cheap, make your bookshelves look awesome and give you options if you need a bit of cash in a few years time.

OMG!! I'm reading posts from 2012 to.present and my OCD literally made my heartbeat race. If it's not paperback, dust jacket stays on while I read the book. Carefully hold the book to make sure there aren't any marked, tears, creases etc. When I'm finished all my books get shrink wrapped. There is a horrific reason (long story) behind the shrink wrapping part, but they look new a Beautiful on my shelves.

Throwing the dust jacket out?? O_O I think I just heard many Goodreads members gasp with me, lol.

welp I generally take the dust jackets off cause my tiny hands mean that the book will slip out of it while I'm reading XD

but I have to be careful to place it somewhere I can find it again

my room, no matter how clean I make it(which is pretty clean mind you can't stand the mess) manages to eat stuff if I'm not careful and its gone til I pack to move and find it all in literally the most random places ever

Throwing away a dust jacket is like throwing away a child. You just don't do it.

I use the dust jacket for a bookmark, but it does get annoying sometimes!

Lilo wrote: "Ron wrote: "Seriously, the dust jacket makes a great bookmark. simply use the inside flap to mark your page. front flap if less than halfway, back flap if more than halfway."

Isn't that what turni..."
Lilo! You dog-ear your pages? That annoys me so much! I spend a lot of time un-dog-earing the books at my school!

Heidi wrote: "I use the dust jacket for a bookmark, but it does get annoying sometimes!"

Best part of a dust jacket is using it as a book mark! :)

Dust jackets are a cheap and horrible thing. I have been getting more and more annoyed with them and starting today I'm throwing all of them away. Once you get rid of the dust cover life gets better and you realize that the way to read a book is without the dust cover. If we all start throwing them away then maybe publishers will start upping their game and making 'real' hardcover books.

"Throughout the nineteenth century, nearly all dust jackets were discarded at or soon after purchase."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_...

Susan wrote: "Ebooks aren't any substitute for the real thing, not to mention you don't own the book."

Actually, they are exactly a substitute...

I collect The dust jackets & as of date having a good collection of English, Hindi & Marathi Language Books'dust jackets.