Legal Research

Dark Side of Sticky Notes

By Pamela

As we enter the final sprint of summer catching up and gear up for the start of the fall semester, we may all be stocking up on Post-Its, the ubiquitous little sticky note sheets that have become so indispensable.   I confess to being addicted myself and to having Post-Its in lots of different sizes and colors.  My husband, a voracious reader, runs through packages of them in the course of a year and litters all the surfaces of our house with pads of his favorite sized ones.   But the fun and useful little tools have a dark side.  In a recent Atlantic article, Edward Tenner, a historian of technology and culture, cautions against using them in books.  “These seemingly harmless ‘markers’ leave behind their adhesive, even when removed immediately.”  The adhesive is acidic and can damage the paper.  They can also cause problems in the recycling process.

So, plaster your memos, calendars, and class notes with “stickies,” but keep them out of your books and remove them from paper to be recycled.

[PRM]

Full post as published by Cocky Law Blawg on July 29, 2010 (boomark / email).