I think active reading involves more than the act of annotating one's thoughts as one reads, and offers more than a deeper insight into the text.

The downside that Parrish mentions in Veen's linked article; that it's harder relinquish a book filled with revelatory notes; when considered in the context of a web of participants becomes instead a chance to share insights with peers. These notes, if made, will be read.

We discussed the idea of making the #hubskiliterarything an electronic exchange, to save on postal costs, to send ebooks or audiobooks instead, but despite the increased costs and efforts involved in sending literary matter around the planet, it offers advantanges.

As I was envisioning these books travelling the world, from Hubskier to Hubskier, gathering the oils from our fingers, soaking up the air from the various locations around the world, metaphorically affecting the genetic expressions of their readers as they handled them, I liked to imagine them becoming distressed and weathered as entropy takes little bites from them. We keep them alive by handling them, by making them a part of our lives for a brief time, before they depart on nomad travels to their next host. They age, and become scarred, and perhaps eventually die. With luck they'll leave behind them memories and insights and a sense of community.

There is a secret yet to be revealed about these books that the readers will discover when they receive them which may enhance the nature of the marginalia.