@ the Library turned me on to this news story about people who recommend placing business ads into library books.
I've seen a few of these in our library, little cards slipped into the books. I don't know why people do this, leaving their business contact information around for me to find. I find it very difficult to keep from retaliating. It's too easy to take the name and phone number and create mischief.
Imagine writing something like this on the back of the card and then leaving the card in public place, like a store or back in that same library book:
I am pointing a gun at you. Please put $50,000 into this bag and act natural.
Or this:
Stop me before I kill again.
Or even this:
I hate all (insert race, ethnic group here).
It would be difficult not to associate that message with the name on the card. Or the finder might even turn the card into the police thinking there was a real threat of a crime.
Or one could go to various web sites and fill out their contact forms with the name and telephone number from the business ad:
I am very interested in ________ (insurance, changing my calling plan, donating to his re-election campaign)
and
Yes, I'd love to take a personality test.
People shouldn't use the library to promote their goods and services.
Of course if I found someone's business card in a book, I would never do this with their information. Unless I thought it would be really, really funny.
