Q. A scholarly book of great importance to me appears to have gone missing from my library. It was heavily annotated so it is irreplaceable. I lend books all the time and I have a strong feeling I have lent it to someone, but I just cannot remember to whom. I can remember the last time I saw it and have emailed all those who signed the visitors’ book since, asking whether by any chance they have borrowed it — but it seems that none of them has. I feel it would be a tad accusatory/Alzheimery to send a round robin to all friends and colleagues to ask whether they have by any chance been to my house in the last six months and borrowed it.
— K.N.H., Oxford
A. Instead, send a round robin email asking if anyone happens to have a copy of the book that you could buy. Say that you are offering a large sum of money. This incentive will stir your slacker friends from their stupors and, if someone does have the missing book, he or she will come forward — naturally offering to return it for free. In future, use the following method to keep a record. Photograph the lendee holding the book open at the title page, and email the snap to both parties with ‘book loan’ in the subject box. Next time you are searching for a missing book, go to your email inbox and alphabetise the subject column by clicking on the word ‘subject’ so you can see who has borrowed what. This method will also make the lendee more conscientious about returning the loan.
Q. I am staying with a long-term friend in Normandy and have noticed for the first time that an imposingly sized photo album has contained, for many years, a very unflattering photograph of me.
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