In 2003-2004, the ACP completed its most anticipated, influential study to date, "The Crisis in Canada's School Libraries: The Case for Reform and Re-investment" by Ronald Haycock. In particular, the study demonstrates the important role of teacher-librarians and school libraries in introducing Canadian books to students of all ages. However, over the past twenty years Canadian schools have had to reduce their intellectual and material resources--teacher librarians and books--due to financial factors, such as provincial budget reductions and internal constraints cause by increased competition for funding. Along with these changes has been a diminution in the purchase and use of Canadian books for use by Canadian students. In light of these challenges to school libraries, the ACP undertook the cooperative marketing project "Canadian Books in Schools: Raising the Profile" in order to address and determine a method for Canadian publishers to market and raise the profile of Canadian books in schools. To purchase a copy of the Haycock report, please visit the ACP Studies page.
As a first step in this project, the ACP engaged Helena Aalto, a publishing and education consultant, to assess the response to the Haycock study. She interviewed 28 people from the education community and school library stakeholders including principals, teacher-librarians, administrators, education professors, parent groups and book wholesalers. This report, "A Sampling Survey of Response to The Crisis in Canada's School Libraries: The Case for Reform and Reinvestment", is also available in the ACP Studies section.
The ACP then contracted Helena Aalto to analyze the best methods for marketing to educators and teacher-librarians. By using appropriate marketing strategies, publishers will be able to successfully increase their presence in the educational market. Over 125 interviews were conducted with members of the educational community across Canada, with wholesalers and with booksellers. The results of this research can be found in the study "Canadian Books in Schools: Raising the Profile", which was completed in late 2004.
The ACP is developing a major marketing and advocacy campaign to promote the proliferation of Canadian-authored and Canadian-published books in school libraries, and the importance of well-funded and staffed school libraries in the Canadian educational system, based on recommendations presented in the Aalto study.
EDI/Supply Chain
The Supply Chain Project is organized with the goal of sourcing an affordable, comprehensive book publishing software solution that will be offered to all ACP members. The software package will have the capacity to handle a full range of EDI documents, to maintain rich bibliographic data, and to track retail sales data. All three of these features are consistent with the broader industry initiatives currently identified by BookNet Canada, and will be essential to a publisher's success with the rapidly changing technology in the Canadian book industry.
Higher Education Conferences
Every year the ACP funds a number of its publishers in the Higher Education Committee to attend scholarly conferences in the US and Canada, which provide publishers with an opportunity to make contacts and promote Canadian books across the United States. Publishers regularly report interest in Canadian books and publishers from American scholars.
Conferences attended by the ACP Education Committee in 2005:
National Women's Studies Association, Orlando, FL
American Sociological Association, Philadelphia, PA
American Political Science Association, Washington, DC
Association for Canadian Studies in the US, St. Louis, MO
American Anthropology Association, Washington, DC
American Philosophical Association, New York City, NY
American Historical Association, Philadelphia, PA.
International Book Fairs
As a part of promoting ACP publishers internationally, the ACP secretariat attends three international book fairs a year with the AECB at its Canada booth. These fairs are Book Expo America, London Book Fair and Frankfurt Book Fair.
Membership Directory
Every year the ACP compiles an updated directory of its membership, affiliates and associated cultural and government organizations. This directory is an important tool for promoting Canadian-owned publishers at national and international book fairs and conferences, such as the London and Frankfurt book fairs, Book Expo America and the Salon du Livre de Montreal. These directories are also distributed to other interested parties, such as Simon Fraser University, unpublished writers and media who are interested in finding out more about the Canadian-owned and controlled publishing industry.
Mentorship Program
At the 1997 ACP AGM, several members noted the lack of people ready to assume leadership positions in Canadian publishing, while at the same time publishers expressed an interest in acquiring skills from their more experienced colleagues in the industry.
These concerns resulted in the creation of the ACP Mentorship Program. One of the main goals of the program is to provide an opportunity for publishers to work in a focused and intensive way with a larger or more senior publisher on a specific aspect of their business. This program essentially aims to offer publishers of all sizes an opportunity to directly learn from each other.
For more information please contact Nicole Fera, ACP Administrative Assistant at 416-487-6116 x231 or at nicole_fera@canbook.org. All Associate and Active ACP members in good standing are invited to apply as mentorees.
Salon du Livre
Held on an annual basis in November, the Salon du Livre de Montreal is the largest book fair in Canada. The ACP's presence at the Salon du Livre has been growing every year, giving ACP publisher members a valuable opportunity to expand their presence in the French-language commercial, school, and library markets and to foster closer ties with French Canada.
For the past few years, the ACP has rented a collective booth at the fair in order to promote its publishers by displaying their titles. In 2003, 2004 and 2005 the ACP added a new component to its presence at the Salon by facilitating meetings between French- and English-language publishers. The services provided by the ACP at the Salon du Livre improve each year -- 2005 saw the introduction of a rights catalogue specially prepared to present members' titles to Francophone publishers. Interested publishers are encouraged to contact Jack Illingworth, ACP Projects Manager, at jack_illingworth@canbook.org.
Professional Development Seminars
The ACP holds two to three professional development seminars a year through this project. These seminars are designed to update publishers on new technology in the publishing industry; to help them understand how various technological changes affect their businesses; and to provide them with options for addressing and coping with change.
Seminar topics in 2005-2006 included "Creating a Business Plan", "Selling to the Big Box Stores" and "Maximizing Online Sales".
Simon Fraser University (SFU) Summer Publishing Workshops
Each year The Department of Canadian Heritage, through the ACP, offers a subsidy to Canadian publishers who are members of the ACP to enable them to attend Simon Fraser University's Summer Immersion workshops. The subsidy covers 50% of economy airfare, 50% of tuition and 50% of the cost of accommodations to a maximum of $60 per night (50% or room at $120 or less per night).
The SFU Summer Publishing courses are a fantastic opportunity for publishers to gain new skills as well as to reinforce those they practice every day. Past participants have consistently given the courses, instructors and overall experience overwhelmingly positive reviews. For more information about the ACP subsidy please contact Nicole Fera, ACP Administrative Assistant at 416-487-6116 x231 or at nicole_fera@canbook.org. To learn more about SFU's Workshops, please visit www.sfu.ca/pubworks.
Website Upgrade
Beginning in 2003, the ACP undertook the redesign of its website in order to improve the website navigation, to increase the website services available, and to provide the public with a one-stop resource for information on the Canadian publishing industry. The new site was launched on April 1, 2004 and has become a communications tool within the ACP membership and for promoting the ACP’s publishers to the general public.