The sweet illusion of book ownership: A phenomenological perspective

Who is the true owner of a book? Does it belong to the author, the publisher, the bookseller, or the reader/buyer? Clearly, all of them own the book in one way or another. However, who has a greater share of the ownership? Moreover, beyond the legal and physical possession, people may feel a sense of belonging to certain books. This belongingness may come from the personal significance of a book for them or its place in their culture and identity. This paper examines this issue from a phenomenological perspective to explore the subjective perception that each stakeholder experiences while claiming ownership. Through this perspective, we can understand the meanings that people attach to their lived experience of owning a book. It shows how ownership is perceived by the owner and how it creates emotional connections, including a sense of belonging and identity. Nonetheless, the essence of ownership remains a shared and collective concept, and in the end, no one truly owns a book alone. For example, an author considers her/his book as part of her/his creative expression. However, to what extent is this expression truly original, and to what extent does it reflect the impacts of previous works published by others? At the same time, the publisher considers the same book as a product of their business and claims legal ownership. Nonetheless, for the reader who has the book in their personal collection, it is part of their lived experience. Therefore, from a phenomenological perspective, a book generates a range of perceived experiences of ownership, including intellectual, legal, and emotional, that make ownership meaningful to each stakeholder. This approach transcends the conventional notions of ownership in the world of books and suggests a book is always co-owned and co-experienced by all who engage with it in different contexts.