BookNet Canada

From BookNet Canada, the latest on book publishing, data, retail, and technology.

Libraries and Canadian readers

In this month’s podcast episode, we dive into the data on Canadian book borrowers, their library visitorship, book borrowing by format, and more. Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2025/10/1/podcast-libraries-and-canadian-readers

10-01
09:36

Editing Indigenous voices with care

Mélanie Ritchot joins us this episode to talk about the Indigenous Editors Circle and how it's influenced her approach to editing. Whether you're an editor, a publisher, or just interested in how the industry is evolving to better support Indigenous voices, this episode is for you. Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2025/6/24/podcast-editing-indigenous-voices-with-care

06-23
14:50

Beyond the survey: More on salary equity in the book industry

This month’s podcast episode is a continuation of the conversation from the Tech Forum webinar: Canadian book publishing: Insights from the latest salary survey. Saffron Beckwith, President at Ampersand Inc., joins us to chat about pay equity, inclusion, and more. Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2025/5/27/podcast-beyond-the-survey-more-on-salary-equity-in-the-book-industry

05-27
17:28

Canadian Bookmark Project

This month we’re talking with Chandler Jolliffe, owner of Cedar Canoe Books in Huntsville, who pioneered the idea of a Canadian flag bookmark as a way to easily identify which books in his store were Canadian-authored. Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2025/4/29/canadian-bookmark-project

04-29
33:32

Canadian audiobooks in 2025

In this podcast episode, we talk to Cassie Smyth about AI integration into audiobooks, accessible audiobooks, supporting the Canadian audiobook ecosystem, and more. Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2025/3/25/podcast-canadian-audiobooks-in-2025

03-23
29:57

A research sneak peek

Listen to a sneak peek of BookNet Canada’s upcoming research reports, The Canadian Book Market and The Canadian Book Consumer. Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2025/2/25/a-research-sneak-peek

02-23
06:45

AI in the book industry

In this podcast episode, we share some snippets from last year’s Tech Forum sessions on AI in the book industry. Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2025/1/28/podcast-ai-in-the-book-industry

01-25
21:06

An introduction to the European Union Deforestation Regulation

In this month’s podcast episode, we talk to Simon Crump, Environmental Consultant for BIC, to discuss the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and its impact on the book industry. Simon offers insights on how the EUDR affects the book supply chain, practical steps for Canadian publishers to align with the regulation, and resources for non-European publishers aiming to understand compliance requirements. Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2024/12/17/podcast-an-introduction-to-the-european-union-deforestation-regulation

12-12
30:43

Gearing up for the holiday season: Tips for independent booksellers

In this episode of the BookNet Canada podcast, we share valuable tips and strategies for independent booksellers gearing up for the holiday season. From planning business hours and fulfillment options to creating engaging themed promotions and leveraging social media, this episode covers content that will help you increase sales and connect with your community. Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2024/11/26/podcast-gearing-up-for-the-holiday-season-tips-for-independent-booksellers

11-25
10:47

Who is the print book reader?

We share some highlights from our newest study, Turning Pages: Print Book Use in Canada 2023, all about print books: who’s buying them, borrowing them, and reading them. And what did we learn about their book acquisition and reading behaviours? Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2024/10/29/podcast-who-is-the-print-book-reader

10-29
05:00

The W3C and digital publishing

This month, we invited Wendy Reid, the Accessibility and Publishing Standards Lead at Rakuten Kobo and the co-chair of the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) Advisory Board to talk about the W3C, the EPUB Fixed Layout Accessibility document, and more. Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2024/9/26/podcast-the-w3c-and-digital-publishing

09-26
28:39

Best practices for navigating cybersecurity

In this month’s podcast episode, we talk to Nick Maturo, Interim Executive Director at the English Language Arts Network (ELAN), to delve into the aftermath of a cybersecurity incident that ELAN faced a few years ago. Nick offers valuable insights into the incident's repercussions, the invaluable lessons learned from the experience, as well as the implementation of best practices and procedures in response. Find the transcript and relevant links here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2024/6/25/podcast-best-practices-for-navigating-cybersecurity

06-24
38:13

Accessible Canadian children's books

This month, we invited Janis Nostbakken, the Project Director for Accessible Books for Young Readers at the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) to talk about their services. Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2024/5/28/podcast-accessible-canadian-childrens-books

05-27
26:14

Taylor Swift's impact on the book industry

We invited Jarin Pintana, speaker at the first Swiftposium, to come and talk to us about Taylor Swift and her impact on the book industry. Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2024/4/30/podcast-taylor-swifts-impact-on-the-book-industry Further reading: - MPub alumnus Jarin Pintana presents at the first-ever 'Swiftposium': https://www.sfu.ca/publishing/news/news-announcements/jarin-pintana-presents-at-swiftposium/ - All the hidden literary references in Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department: https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department-lyrics-literature - BookTok: The next chapter for booklovers: https://stories.uq.edu.au/contact-magazine/2023/booktok-the-next-chapter-for-booklovers/index.html - Taylor Swift's impact on Poetry: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2024/4/26/taylor-swifts-impact-on-poetry

04-29
23:25

Navigating cybersecurity: Insights for the publishing industry

In this month’s podcast episode, cybersecurity expert Francis Syms joins us to discuss the evolving landscape of digital security. In our conversation, we explore key insights and best practices to safeguard digital assets against cyber threats. Find the transcript and additional resources here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2024/3/26/podcast-navigating-cybersecurity-insights-for-the-publishing-industry

03-25
31:27

Booksellers adapting, engaging, and thriving

This month we’re bringing you a small taste of a Tech Forum presentation with booksellers from Little Ghosts Books, Cross & Crows Books, Cedar Canoe Books, and Analog Books Inc. where they share insights into their bookselling journeys, collaborative strategies with various partners, and their approach to online vs. in-person bookselling. Find the transcript here:https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2024/2/27/podcast-booksellers-adapting-engaging-and-thriving

02-27
15:30

Looking Back At 2023

In this podcast episode we share some high-level data for what was going on with the print book market in Canada last year and share some highlights from the BookNet research and education channels. Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2024/1/30/podcast-looking-back-at-2023 Show notes: - BNC SalesData: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/salesdata - Canada's population estimates: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/231219/dq231219c-eng.htm - Trending now: Book subjects on the move in the Canadian market: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/trending-now-book-subjects-on-the-move-in-the-canadian-market/ - Book industry state of the nation 2024: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/book-industry-state-of-the-nation-2024/ - eNews newsletter: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/newsletter-sign-up#enews - Bestselling books of 2023: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2023/12/14/bestselling-books-of-2023 - Bestselling Canadian books of 2023: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2024/1/8/bestselling-canadian-books-of-2023 - BNC LibraryData: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/librarydata - Most circulated books of 2023: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2023/12/12/most-circulated-books-of-2023 - Most circulated Canadian books of 2023: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2024/1/4/most-circulated-canadian-books-of-2023 - Tapping into Ebooks: Ebook use in Canada 2022: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/tapping-into-ebooks-ebook-use-in-canada-2022 - Winning Kidlit: The Impact of Children’s Book Awards 2022: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/research-reports-for-sda-subscribers - Tech Forum website: https://bnctechforum.ca/

01-30
08:04

Jamie Oliver braille publishing milestone: Impact on readers and the industry

In this month’s episode, we hear from Daniella Levy-Pinto, Manager at the National Network for Equitable Library Service, and Sarah Smith-Eivemark, Associate Director of Retail Marketing and Partnerships at Penguin Random House Canada about the latest collaboration project between their organizations and its impact on accessibility. Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2023/12/19/podcast-jamie-oliver-braille-publishing-milestone-impact-on-readers-and-the-industry Further reading - 5 Ingredients Mediterranean by Jamie Oliver: https://bnccatalist.ca/viewtitle.aspx?ean=9780525612902 - Billy and the Giant Adventure by Jamie Oliver; illustrated by Mónica Armiño: https://bnccatalist.ca/viewtitle.aspx?ean=9781774884140 Lean more about: - National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS): https://nnels.ca/ - World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): https://www.wipo.int/portal/en/index.html - Accessible Books Consortium (ABC): https://www.accessiblebooksconsortium.org/ - Braille Institute: https://brailleinstitute.org/ - Marrakesh Treaty: https://www.wipo.int/marrakesh_treaty/en/

12-18
27:18

Book formats and what it means to be a good reader

In this month’s podcast episode, we take a look at the data on book formats, the people behind the data, and what it means to be a good reader. Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2023/11/28/podcast-book-formats-and-what-it-means-to-be-a-good-reader Further reading and listening: -Is BookTok sucking the joy out of reading?: https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/60751/1/is-booktok-sucking-the-joy-out-of-reading-tiktok-competitive -Do experts think audiobooks count as reading?: https://www.readersdigest.co.uk/culture/books/editor-s-picks/do-audiobooks-count-as-reading -Why Spotify is betting big on the booming audiobooks industry: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20231103-why-spotify-is-betting-big-on-the-booming-audiobooks-industry -Tracking banned books in Canada: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/research/2023/11/16/tracking-banned-books-in-canada -There’s really no wrong way to read a book: https://www.tor.com/2023/02/16/theres-really-no-wrong-way-to-read-a-book/

11-28
14:53

The power and importance of metadata

In this episode we look at two upcoming reasons to get your metadata in order (whether you’re a data sender or a data user): I Read Canadian Day and the holiday season. Find the transcript here: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2023/10/31/podcast-the-power-and-importance-of-metadata Further reading and listening: - I Read Canadian: https://ireadcanadian.com/day/ - Canadian Leisure & Reading Study 2022: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/canadian-leisure-and-reading-study-2022 - Canadian authors: The whys and hows of identifying them in your data: https://www.booknetcanada.ca/blog/2020/5/26/canadian-authors-the-whys-and-hows-of-identifying-them-in-your-data - Give them what they need: A case study of what retailers can accomplish with good metadata: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/give-them-what-they-need-a-case-study-of-what-retailers-can-accomplish-with-good-metadata/

10-31
15:13

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