Independent bookstores in Canada’s post-Covid cultural landscape
In this discussion paper, prepared in consultation with a dozen of Canada’s leading independent publishers, the More Canada think tank discusses the vital role of independent bookstores in Canada’s cultural landscape and makes recommendations for federal support in the wake of Covid-19. These include the recognition of bookstores as a cultural industry and the extension of the low Canada Post shipping rates now enjoyed by public libraries to bookstores.
This report on independent bookstores follows one by the same group on chain bookselling, released in June 2020.
Covid-19 and the challenge to chain retail bookstores in Canada’s cultural landscape
In this discussion paper, the More Canada think tank calls for federal support for Indigo to offset Covid-19-related losses. They ask that support be accompanied by specific cultural conditions, including a commitment by Indigo to devote 20% of book shelf space in stores to Canadian-authored books. This paper was prepared by the More Canada think tank steering committee: Philip Cercone of McGill-Queens University Press, James Lorimer of Lorimer and Formac Publishing, and Jeff Miller of Irwin Law.
The More Canada Report
This report documents the decline in awareness and reading of Canadian-authored books in English Canada over the past 15 years, and offers an analysis of the causes of the decline. The report focuses on key channels of distribution and awareness: independent bookstores, public libraries, school classrooms and libraries, university classrooms, libraries and bookstores, and CBC Radio and CBC Digital. It presents 68 recommendations for action to address this issue involving all components of book publishing and distribution, as well as federal, provincial and municipal governments.
The report is based on the discussions of 29 book professionals who came together in a volunteer think tank in late 2017-18, and on research on book readers and book buying in Canada. It was written by the think tank steering committee: Philip Cercone of McGill-Queens University Press, James Lorimer of Lorimer and Formac Publishing, and Jeff Miller of Irwin Law.
More Canada Research Documents Volume 1
This volume draws together research documents and studies dealing with book reading and book buying in English Canada, the role of independent bookstores and bookstores generally in awareness and access to books and Canadian books, and the role of public and school libraries in awareness and access to Canadian-authored books. The 34 chapters are extracts from major studies or the full texts of important reports from 1983 to 2016.
More Canada Research Documents Volume 2
This volume draws together research documents and studies focusing on CBC Radio and CBC Digital and their role in creating awareness of Canadian-authored books. The documents provide context on the relative importance of different sources of awareness of books.
Also included is research material relating to the presence of Canadian materials in Canadian universities and colleges. The focus is on libraries.
There is also supplementary material on public library collection policies.
This volume presents extracts or the full texts of 21 research documents and reports.
Ontario Publishers Symposium on More Canada in Independent Bookstores and Public Libraries
This report is based on the discussions of the Ontario Publishers Symposium in June 2019 and was prepared by the More Canada Report Steering Committee.
The purpose of this symposium was to bring book industry professionals together to discuss the decline in awareness and reading of Canadian-authored books in English Canada, and to consider the information, analysis and recommendations provided to the industry by the volunteer think tank that generated the More Canada report. The symposium focused on independent bookstores and public libraries, two of the awareness and distribution channels covered in the report.