library return-date stamps

I lament the loss of the sheets of paper glued into the back of library books on which the librarian would batter a date stamp. They told of the history of the very book that was snuggled into my hand. Every time I borrowed a new book I felt like I was playing a part in its life, as it was in mine.
No longer can I tell whether I have discovered a rarely read gem or a well worn train of thought. Barcodes have a lot to answer for when it comes to data aesthetics. The different coloured stamp blocks that sometimes stamped well, and sometimes so faintly they could hardly be discerned added character to a book like the lines on a mountaineer's face or the scars on a cyclist's limbs.