One is not permitted to make use of Seforim for personal benefits.

1) One is not allowed to use a Sefer to block the sun from his eyes.
2) One may not use a sefer as a fan on a hot day.
3) One may not use the sefer as a bookmark, i.e. put one sefer inside the other when he is going out for a few minutes, etc. so that he will be able to open the first sefer to the place without searching for it.
4) One may not use a sefer to put bent papers inside so that it straightens out. Likewise one may not place money inside a sefer as a hiding place. One may not keep papers in a sefer for the purpose of guarding the paper or if he has no other place to keep it. He may keep papers inside the sefer if it is used as bookmarks or to write notes on what he is learning.
5) One may not use a sefer to shield him his actions from others, such as is common by students who use the sefer in class to hide their activities from the teacher, such as writing notes to a friend, doing homework and reading books.

The covers of a sefer that are worn out must be placed in Shaimos/Genizah.

One should not place a sefer on his knees and then place both his elbows on the sefer.

One may however place a sefer under the Sefer he is learning for the person of elevating the Sefer to make it easier to learn from. Likewise, if the sun is shining on the sefer that he is using and the sunrays make it difficult to see the words properly, he may stand up other seforim to block the rays from the sun. This is not being done for personal pleasure, but rather to enable him to learn.

One should write the words laHashem Haaretz Umlo'ah (or its abbreviation) inside the sefer right above where he writes his name.
For comments and questions please write to ewenger@ca.inter.net