# Note-taking question



## reaganmarsh (Nov 20, 2015)

Greetings PB brethren,

This may surprise you, given that I give the heads-up on a lot of ebooks around here, but I don't really care for ebooks. I read them because they're free and I can't afford the printed copy. But my definite preference is for physical resources. 

That being said, I have a question for you. In my normal work day, I'll be in the Study for roughly half the day, and making visits/in meetings (hospital, home, evangelistic, etc.) for roughly the other half. That means I take notes. 

For the last 7 years or so, I've carried Moleskine-knockoff-type pocket notebooks. I like these notebooks because they're hard bound & thus fairly durable, they provide plenty of paper, you can set them up for the endless variations of GTD, there's space for jotting down a flash of insight re: the sermons when it comes, etc. 

What drives me nuts about them is that, once you've used a page for a quick grocery list, or directions somewhere, or whatever one-time-use you have it available for, you still get to tote that useless page around until the notebook is full. I can (and often do) tear out the page, but the way these notebooks are bound, to tear one page is to lose at least one more somewhere else. Do that very many times, and you're losing pages every time the book comes out of your pocket or opens. 

So from the beginning, I've found myself also carrying a small stack of index cards inside the cover. And I've found that I like the index cards better for the vast majority of my note-taking during these meetings. I can make my notes, or jot down pertinent info (i.e., a passage of Scripture for a counselee to consider, or for an inquirer to study re: who Christ is, etc.). Of course, they fall out of the notebook just as readily as the loose pages (and yes, I've used rubber bands, paper clips, binder clips, etc., and haven't been happy with any of them). And that brings me to the point of this post. 

I've just this week come across something called a shirt-pocket briefcase which is basically a small leather case which holds regular 3x5 cards. It has 2-3 pockets so you can file the cards to follow up once you're back at your desk. You toss or file the card once you've handled the info it captured. This sounds like an excellent idea, and maybe I'm just a lemming or late to the party, but I've been home sick this week and found myself thinking 1) this would be really helpful, 2) why haven't I heard of this before, 3) I wonder if any of the PB'ers use/have used something along these lines? 

So given those questions, I've found a couple of options. A company called Levenger makes a "shirt pocket briefcase" which is absurdly expensive but looks really nice (though I just found a reasonable price on it here: http://m.ebay.com/itm/381457689835?...92&_trksid=p2141725.c100338.m3726&_mwBanner=1). Or Amazon has any number of knockoffs: this one looks interesting https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00F..._1_1?colid=3MLE6X8W486CG&coliid=IFZCXT7IWAB2P, this one has only one pocket but is reasonably priced https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009...C_UL100_SR100,65_&refRID=8EP0S4C0CB222FSX59ES, and this one is the same basic idea too https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000..._UL100_SR100,100_&refRID=2KTAVY046HC2NJTR9D1M. 

What are your thoughts? What do you use? Are these ridiculous? 

Such a strange thing to think about, isn't it?


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## Justified (Nov 20, 2015)

I too have been seeking ways to effectively take notes on ebooks. Have you tried digital notes with any success? I haven't found a non-cumbursome, useful way to do so yet.


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## reaganmarsh (Nov 20, 2015)

I've tried digital notes on my Kindle Fire and iPhone through various apps. None are satisfying to me. I've tried carrying my laptop to take notes in meetings/appointments that way. Never again. For my purposes, paper and pencil are best. I'm just wondering if anyone else has used these little doodads I mention above, because in theory, they sound great.

To your specific ebook question, I have used the Kindle's built-in app and didn't like it at all. I used the notes feature in e-Sword extensively for both seminary and ministry at one point (~2004-2008) but one good computer bug ended digital note-taking like that forever for me. I've used various PDF annotation programs, which are neat, but again you're left with a digital file which can be corrupted, deleted, infected, rendered invalid via upgrade, etc. 

I don't mean to sound negative here and apologize if I do; simply sharing my background / reasoning for the direction I've gone in my work.


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## johnny (Nov 20, 2015)

We were at the apple store last week trying out the new ipad pro.
Its bigger, has a stylus and a keyboard, and seems much quicker.
We tried the stylus and its amazing, they have finally nailed the technology.
Here is an article on note taking using the pro.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9780/taking-notes-with-ipad-pro


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## Semper Fidelis (Nov 20, 2015)

If I'm working through an eBook that I need to take notes on and I'm seated I'll usually use my laptop as I don't like taking "analog notes" anymore. I can't search them and my handwriting is messay and I end up losing track of notebooks. If I'm reading a eBook on an elliptical I'll usually highlight the text, copy it to the clipboard, and then paste it into the Word app so I can collect the relevant sections.

If I'm studying a particular set of commentaries for a sermon I'll usually copy and paste the contents of the various commentaries into a single word doc and then use the highlighting tool to keep track of things I want to come back to later when I'm writing the sermon.


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## sojournercp (Nov 20, 2015)

Agree. Note-taking w/ an ebook gets frustrating really fast. I resort to highlights only. If I plan on taking copious notes, then I just purchase the hard copy.


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## Ask Mr. Religion (Nov 20, 2015)

Moleskine booklets do have serrated pages for removing a page in some of their versions.

I have two sizes of the Levenger item. One small (about 2 x 3) for carrying in my pocket, along with some cash and a credit card, that includes a tiny pen, the other more along the lines of a 3x5 card. That tiny version does not seem to be sold any longer at Levenger.


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## VictorBravo (Nov 20, 2015)

reaganmarsh said:


> What are your thoughts? What do you use? Are these ridiculous?



I think my approach might be a step backward for you, but I use my home-grown version of a notepad:

Take around 14-16 sheets of printer paper, some manila cardstock, good scissors, and a stapler:

















(OK, actually, the scissors weren't all that good. A sharp knife on a board works better).

Sits in my shirt pocket behind a glasses case. I routinely pull pages out for scraps. If you cut it right, you can get three notebooks out of the cardstock and paper before you have to scrounge for more. I usually make two or three at a time and date them. 

If the notebook has something important in it, I'll usually scan it and index it in my miscellaneous folders. Otherwise, I'll transcribe the "important" thought onto a computer. Most of the time I just jot down random things I want to remember.

Most of my real notetaking is on my Windows slate PC. I use OneNote, which actually renders my scribbles searchable and datestamped.


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## Jack K (Nov 20, 2015)

I've never heard of the "shirt-pocket briefcase" until just now, but I like what I see.

I do have years of experience, though, with the old-fashioned reporter's notebook. There's good reason why news reporters have carried these for years and still do despite today's technology. They are incredibly easy to use due to being bound at the top, just the right size to carry with you or stuff in a pocket if necessary, easy to tear pages from, and very inexpensive. Of course, the basic variety also leaves you with a ragged-edged sheet if you tear one out to save it, doesn't come with a pen clip, and has zero style. But you still might want to consider them, or go with one of the leather-cased versions at (I kid you not) reportersnotebooks.com. Based on decades of using a reporter's notebook, I will say that the basic idea of going non-bulky is a very smart move.


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## bookslover (Nov 21, 2015)

If you like index cards, you can save money by going to your local supermarket and buying them in groups of about a hundred each - very inexpensive. Or you can also get simple spiral-bound notebooks with a couple of hundred pages in them - also at the market, for cheap. I use the latter to keep track of my Bible reading.


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## reaganmarsh (Nov 21, 2015)

Wow, that's a lot of replies. Thanks, y'all. 

To those suggesting various notebooks: I'm still going to use notebooks as needed. I've actually made my own notebooks before, several different ways, and still do from time to time. Notebooks have their place but bug me after a while. I was really just being nosy as to whether any of y'all do the index card thing also. I'm finding that, for while I'm out and about in the afternoons, I use index cards much more frequently than notebooks (and yes, I get the cheap cards that are 10 cents at the back-to-school sales; I used to be a teacher!). And index cards don't stay together in one place well (i.e., they fall out of my notebooks...binder clips bug me...so do spiral-bound notebooks...and I'm wayyyy to cheap to spring for something with perforated pages, although the page Jack posted is making me reconsider that final statement. 

I've never actually recorded my Bible reading before. I'll have to consider that idea. I appreciate it, Mr. Zuelch. 

When I'm in my Study doing sermon prep, research, or conducting a meeting/counselling session, I typically use legal paper on a clipboard, or whatever scratch paper I have at hand. That's been a good system for the last ~17 years and I'm satisfied with it. Old dogs and new tricks and all that...that being said, I do typically put together my final draft of the sermon in MS Word so I can actually read the fruits of my labor in the pulpit. Ha! 

Thanks for the input, y'all.


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## ZackF (Nov 21, 2015)

reaganmarsh said:


> Greetings PB brethren,
> 
> This may surprise you, given that I give the heads-up on a lot of ebooks around here, but I don't really care for ebooks. I read them because they're free and I can't afford the printed copy. But my definite preference is for physical resources.
> 
> ...



I think I am the biggest new media sucker on the planet. There are titles in which I have purchased the audio, electronic and hard copy.  I feel pathetic.


Regarding perforated Moleskine pages, here is a suggestion via Michael Hyatt's blog that I came across a few months ago. I haven't tried ecosystem products though.


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## jandrusk (Nov 21, 2015)

I don't deal well with the physical world for the most part when it comes to note taking. I have come across a technology called, "Org-Mode" that blows them all away if your willing to learn to use the keyboard beyond what your used to. There is a smartphone app called,"MobileOrg" that allows you to sync the content. 

http://orgmode.org/talks.html


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## Herald (Nov 22, 2015)

I've never perfected note taking. I write on the back of junk mail envelopes, paper bags, paper towels, receipts et. al.


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## jwithnell (Nov 22, 2015)

I love the Keep App on Android and a thin, mobile, Bluetooth keyboard. After losing a chunk of my hearing, note taking became difficult. Touch typing, I can watch the speaker's face the whole time. (Though I have fond memories of the reporter's notebooks.)


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