A few years ago Moleskine stopped making the line of notebook they called the volant. These were thinner than the regular notebooks and had a soft cover, but unlike the cahier line, which survived, they had a “moleskine” cover rather than craft card.
I use volants for the library – they’re perfect for jotting down call numbers of books or CDs before I head to the shelves. “Bibliography” books is how I think of them, although I’ve rarely gone back to consult old entries. Thinness and flexibility are the main virtues: a girl can shove them in a jeans pocket while prowling the stacks. I write in present tense because I had a few hoarded away when the line was cut, and then earlier this year, just as I was halfway through my last one, they were reintroduced. In pretty two-tone colour sets as well as the old black:
I left the “green” set well alone. Lime and sickly yellow is how I’d describe them. But pink will be appreciated by someone I know, and the blue and navy pair just seemed right given the bluestocking use to which I’ll put them.
The news, however, is that they’re here. Today was the first time I’d seen them for sale in Australia, despite haunting the usual suppliers in a half-hearted way for the past few months. UTS Co-op on Broadway, and the price is good if you’re a member.