May 4, 2020 (Toronto, ON) – Last month, the Canadian Children’s Book Centre launched its new digital project, Bibliovideo. Bibliovideo showcases videos and links to resources about Canadian books for children and youth. It is a vibrant destination for readers, librarians, teachers, parents, authors, illustrators, researchers, and others who want to locate and learn more about great Canadian books for young people.

Bibliovideo is the home for a special virtual edition of Canadian Children’s Book Week. The tour is the single most important national event celebrating Canadian children’s books and was unable to occur as planned due to COVID-19. Throughout this week, special videos from Book Week authors and illustrators will appear on the Bibliovideo channel. Instead of visiting hundreds of children, each participating author will be able to reach children all across the country. Participating authors include Robin Stevenson, Debbie Ridpath Ohi, Eugenie Fernandes, Shane Peacock and Monique Polak. A new video will be added to Bibliovideo each day from May 4 to May 9.

Book Week kicked off today with a video from best-selling YA author Monique Polak, which you can watch here. Be sure to check YouTube every day until May 9 for a new video at noon EST.

Learn more about Canadian Children’s Book Week here.

The CCBC is committed to ensuring that there is better digital access and promotion of exceptional Canadian books to raise awareness and promote literacy. With funding from the Canada Council for the Arts, Bibliovideo is the first step in a long-range digital strategy being developed by a consortium of organizations led by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre that includes the Association of Canadian Publishers/49thKids, Canadian School Libraries, CANSCAIP, Communication-Jeunesse and IBBY Canada.

Subsrcibe to Bibliovideo to support videos that keep the spirit of Book Week alive all year long. 

For more information, please contact: 
 

Emma Hunter
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
The Canadian Children’s Book Centre
416.975.0010 ext. 221
emma@bookcentre.ca

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About The Canadian Children’s Book Centre
The Canadian Children’s Book Centre is a national, not-for-profit organization founded in 1976. We are dedicated to encouraging, promoting and supporting the reading, writing and illustrating of Canadian books for young readers. Our programs, publications and resources help teachers, librarians, booksellers and parents select the very best for young readers. For more information, please visit our website.

About Canadian Children's Book Week
Canadian Children’s Book Week is the single most important national event celebrating Canadian children’s books and the importance of reading. Each May, over hundreds of readings are given to thousands of children, teens and adults in over 100 communities across the country as we make every possible effort to reach children in more remote regions and communities. Hundreds of schools, public libraries, bookstores and community centres host events as part of this major literary festival.

 

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

About Canada Council for the Arts
The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s public arts funder, with a mandate to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. The Council champions and invests in artistic excellence through a broad range of grants, services, prizes and payments to professional Canadian artists and arts organizations. Its work ensures that excellent, vibrant and diverse art and literature engages Canadians, enriches their communities and reaches markets around the world. The Council also raises public awareness and appreciation of the arts through its communications, research and arts promotion activities. It is responsible for the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, which promotes the values and programs of UNESCO in Canada to contribute to a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable future. The Canada Council Art Bank operates art rental programs and helps further public engagement with contemporary arts. Visit their website here.

 
About the Bibliovideo Consortium Members
Association of Canadian Publishers/49th Kids
Canadian School Libraries
CANSCAIP
Communication-Jeunesse
IBBY Canada

The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) calls on the federal government to immediately implement Heritage Committee recommendations designed to repair the marketplace for Canadian creativity. Last week’s Federal Court of Appeal decision in legal action between Access Copyright and York University illustrates just how damaged and unfair the current legislative framework is for those making their living from authorship and other professional creative work in Canada.

The decision reaffirmed the lower court’s opinion that York University engaged in massive amounts of illegal copying, and that their so-called “fair dealing guidelines” are, in fact, unfair. However, at the same time, it gutted the authority of the Copyright Board, to which copyright collectives must turn when users refuse to license content. Absurdly, the appeal court declared that tariffs approved by the Copyright Board are not mandatory, calling into question the future of a regulatory mechanism purpose-built to protect the cultural marketplace.

“The law protecting our work is completely broken,” said Anita Daher, novelist and Chair of TWUC. “The court has just signaled that anyone can steal our work, because there’s nothing effective we can do about it. In fact, as far as I can tell, they’ve given a green light to illegal copying across the creative sector. That such a crushing blow to our earnings comes in the middle of an already devastating pandemic is unconscionable.”

Ill-defined and poorly thought-out amendments to the Copyright Act were passed in 2012, against the objections of cultural workers who predicted grave damage to the sector. Those predictions have all come to pass — hundreds of millions of dollars in earned revenue has been diverted from the Canadian writing and publishing business, systemic illegal copying is now rampant, and all remedies from collective action have been removed. Authors are now expected to sue institutions individually, a process that can stretch to a decade and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, while statutory caps provide for a maximum of $5000 in damages. Essentially, there is no effective recourse under the law for authors whose work is copied illegally.

“The repair for all this is ready and waiting on government desks,” insists TWUC executive director John Degen. “Recommendations from the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage’s 2019 Shifting Paradigms report bring greater clarity to the law’s language, and must be implemented now. Authors have been asked for patience for nearly a decade. We’ve worked in good faith with education, the courts, the Copyright Board and government to find solutions. In the end we’ve had our rights and livelihoods cut from beneath us at the very moment we need them most.”

To be clear, the Federal Court of Appeals has declared York’s copying guidelines unfair and its practices illegal. Much of the education sector follows similar guidelines and practices. There is no denying illegal copying is now in common practice in Canada. The government must step in to clarify the intent of the law, and provide legal remedies.

“In the current climate, writers are simply leaving the business” added Degen. “No sector can be expected to survive without a dependable legal framework. We can’t wait any longer; the government must act now.”

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The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) is the national organization of professionally published writers. TWUC was founded in 1973 to work with governments, publishers, booksellers and readers to improve the conditions of Canadian writers. Now over 2,100 members strong, TWUC promotes the rights, freedoms and economic well-being of all writers. TWUC believes a lively and diverse literary culture is essential in defining Canada and its people. Learn more at writersunion.ca (http://www.writersunion.ca) .

For additional information:
John Degen, Executive Director
The Writers’ Union of Canada
jdegen@writersunion.ca (mailto:jdegen@writersunion.ca)

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Copyright © 2020 The Writers' Union of Canada, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
The Writers' Union of Canada
600-460 Richmond Street West
Toronto, ON M5V 1Y1
Canada

The Writers' Union of Canada acknowledges that our office is in Tkaronto, a Mohawk word which translates to “Where The Trees Meet The Water” or “The Gathering Place.” Tkaronto is bound by Dish With One Spoon, a treaty between the Anishinaabe and the Haudenosaunee to share the territory, promote peace, and protect the land. TWUC acknowledges them and any other Nations who care for the land — recorded and unrecorded — and we pay our respects to Canada’s first storytellers.

The Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP) is frustrated and disappointed by the Federal Court of Appeal’s April 22 decision related to the legal action between Access Copyright and York University. Though the Court confirmed the lower-court decision that fair dealing guidelines adopted by York do not meet the Supreme Court’s test for fair dealing, it did not uphold the decision that tariffs certified by the Copyright Board are mandatory. In essence, the decision reaffirms that the Canadian education sector has engaged in illegal and unfair copying on a systematic basis, and makes the prospect of enforcement for small- and medium-sized publishers impossible.

“Through Access Copyright, Canadian publishers have participated in the Copyright Board’s multi-year tariff process in good faith, and with an expectation of fair and reasonable compensation for the use of their content,” said ACP Executive Director Kate Edwards. “The Court of Appeal’s decision on mandatory tariffs makes future engagement in this process futile, and leaves small- and medium-sized rightsholders in the untenable position of pursuing compliance on their own, rather than through their collective.”

The appeal decision reinforces that Canada’s copyright framework is broken. Amendments made to the Copyright Act in 2012 opened the door to illegal and systematic copying by the K-12 and post-secondary education sector, which has now accrued cumulative liabilities of more than $150M. At the same time, amendments have limited statutory damages for non-commercial use to a point that enforcement is impractical. Urgent action on the part of the federal government is needed to implement reforms that will correct market damage and provide a policy framework that supports future investment in Canadian writing and publishing.

“The education sector’s ‘fair dealing guidelines’ were unfair when they were adopted in 2012, and they were unfair in 2017 when the Federal Court ruled on the York case,” said Edwards. “The Court of Appeal has confirmed that the guidelines remain unfair. It’s time for the education sector to come back to the table, negotiate with rightsholders, and ensure the content they use is compensated.”

ACP is the national voice of English-language Canadian-owned book publishers. ACP contributes to the development and maintenance of vibrant, competitive book publishing companies in order to support and strengthen the contribution that Canadian books make to Canada’s cultural, economic, and educational landscape.

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For more information, please contact Kate Edwards, Executive Director, Association of Canadian Publishers, kate_edwards@canbook.org.

Association of Canadian Publishers & Access Copyright Announce Temporary Permissions for Online Storytime

As schools remain closed indefinitely and classrooms shift to online learning, educators and librarians are seeking out ways to connect with students and provide meaningful learning opportunities from a distance. In response, the Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP) and Access Copyright have partnered to start the Read Aloud Canadian Books Program.

Reading books aloud and sharing stories is a treasured daily activity in classrooms and libraries. Many educators and librarians have sought permission from Canadian publishers to read part or all of a book and to share a video of the reading for online story-time with their students.

“We are pleased to partner with the Association of Canadian Publishers to facilitate online story- times while schools and libraries are temporarily closed,” says Roanie Levy, President & CEO of Access Copyright. “The Read Aloud Canadian Books Program empowers educators and librarians to share stories from Canadian publishers with their students during a time when they are needed more than ever.”

The Program will allow, on a temporary basis, a waiver of licence fees related to the reading of all or part of select books from participating publishers and posting of the video recording online. Educators and librarians will be able to confidently bring Canadian stories and literature to students during this challenging time.

Ruth Linka, Co-Chair of the ACP Children's Publisher Committee and Associate Publisher of Orca Book Publishers, observes: “In the best of times authors and book publishers are active partners with educators and librarians in bringing excellent content to our youngest citizens. Now in difficult times we are proud to support educators and librarians in their extraordinary work in keeping children engaged, informed, and entertained.”

ACP and Access Copyright encourage educators and librarians who are taking advantage of the program to spread the word on social media using the hashtag #ReadAloudCanadian and tag @AccessCopyright, @CdnPublishers, and individual creators and publishers.

Publishers who have signed up so far include: Annick Press, ARP Books, Orca Book Publishers, Owlkids Books, Portage and Main Press, Running the Goat, Books and Broadsides, Groundwood Books, and Linda Leith Publishing.

For more information about the program, terms and conditions, and guidelines for use, and an updated list of participating publishers please visit www.accesscopyright.ca/read-aloud.

ACP is the national voice of English-language Canadian-owned book publishers. ACP contributes to the development and maintenance of vibrant, competitive book publishing companies in order to support and strengthen the contribution that Canadian books make to Canada’s cultural, economic, and educational landscape.

For over 30 years, Access Copyright has facilitated content use for educational and professional purposes. Access Copyright has helped people make customized use of published materials combined with an assurance that the original creators and publishers also benefit, so that they can continue creating new and innovative works. This is vitally important to a strong Canadian culture and to all who rely on quality publications.

###

Contacts:
For the Association of Canadian Publishers:
Kate Edwards, Executive Director, kate_edwards@canbook.org
 
For Access Copyright:
Amy Cormier, Head of Communications and Marketing, acormier@accesscopyright.ca

The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) is thrilled to announce that a home has been found for the CCBC’s regional collection at the Ryerson University Library and Hamilton Public Library. The collection contains approximately 18,000 titles dating to the late 1970s, including Canadian classics like Alligator Pie, Anne of Green Gables and The Paper Bag Princess, with nearly 800 books added annually. The collection was previously housed at the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s main offices in Toronto and is being relocated as the CCBC reduces its footprint by downsizing its office space. The relocation of the regional collection will allow for greater access to the titles, preserving Canadian culture for future generations. 
 
In March 2020, the main library collection moves to the Ryerson University Library in Toronto, Ontario, which currently houses the Children’s Literature Collection containing titles dating from 1701 to 1940. The CCBC addition will complement this collection and the research already underway by a number of Ryerson faculty. “We are very pleased to have this unique collection come the Ryerson Library. It will be a valuable resource for faculty and students from across our undergraduate and graduate programs including literature, graphic design, early childhood studies, and Canadian history,” says Carol Shepstone, Chief Librarian, Ryerson University Library.
 
The second archive collection will be housed at Hamilton Public Library. "Hamilton Public Library is honoured to accept this significant donation. As a library and community hub, early literacy is central to our mandate. The CCBC’s ever-growing collection will serve as a great research archive, a positive resource for Hamilton’s youngest readers, their parents and teachers, and offer future generations the opportunity to enjoy many great Canadian books by Canadian authors,” says Paul Takala, CEO and Chief Librarian, Hamilton Public Library. Both collections will be accessible to the public. Given the vast number of titles, the Ryerson University Library and Hamilton Public Library plan to launch the CCBC collection in 2021, with the Ryerson Library providing titles in stages over the next few years.
 
“We are so pleased to have a new home for these important resources,” says Rose Vespa, Executive Director of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre. “Ryerson’s University Library and Hamilton’s Central Library will provide wide access to Canadian kids’ books for aspiring authors, students, academics, educators and families.”

For more information, please contact: 

 
Emma Hunter
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Canadian Children’s Book Centre
416-975-0010 ext. 221
emma@bookcentre.ca


Shelley McKay
Manager, Communications
Hamilton Public Library
905.546.3200 ext. 5934 
905.973.1847 (cell) 
smckay@hpl.ca
 

Jenna Charlton
Communications Specialist
Ryerson University Library
416-979-5000 ext. 4002
Jenna.charlton@ryerson.ca

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About the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC)
The Canadian Children’s Book Centre is a national, not-for-profit organization founded in 1976. We are dedicated to encouraging, promoting and supporting the reading, writing and illustrating of Canadian books for young readers. Our programs, publications, and resources help teachers, librarians, booksellers and parents select the very best for young readers. For more information, please visit our website.
 
About Ryerson University Library
Ryerson University Library, located in downtown Toronto, offers Ryerson students, faculty and the community access to cutting-edge research resources and innovative, academic library services and programs. Visit:library.ryerson.ca, or connect with us on Twitter @ryersonlibrary and Instagram @ryersonulibrary.
 
About Hamilton Public Library
The Hamilton Public Library is a vibrant hub for information and culture, providing our diverse community the Freedom to Discover. As one of the largest library systems in Canada, Hamiltonians will discover something new at our 22 locations, two bookmobiles, or through our extensive digital collections. Visit us online at hpl.ca. Connect with us on Twitter @hamiltonlibrary and Facebook at HamiltonPublicLibrary.

The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) is excited to announce our new partnership with Communication-Jeunesse, our Quebecois counterpart. Since 1971, Communication-Jeunesse has been committed to the promotion of French-Canadian literature for children. With our core values aligned, a partnership between our two organizations is an obvious step forward for both organizations. In 2020, Communication-Jeunesse will be overseeing the French-language CCBC Book Awards: the Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse and the Prix Harry Black de l’album jeunesse. Working with the CCBC, Communication-Jeunesse will oversee submissions, juries, promotions and the awards celebration for both French-language awards.
 
“There is no better organization to oversee the Prix TD and the Prix Harry Black than Communication-Jeunesse,” says Rose Vespa, Executive Director of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre. “We have worked with Communication-Jeunesse in the past for our History Book Bank. Currently we are collaborating with Communication-Jeunesse on our YouTube channel Bibliovideo, as well as on the inaugural I Read Canadian Day, taking place on February 19, 2020. We are looking forward to working with them on the 2020 French-language CCBC Book Awards.”
 
"We are delighted to start this new adventure with the CCBC, TD Bank Group and Prix Harry Black sponsor Mary Macchiusi,” says Pénélope Jolicoeur, Directrice Générale of Communication-Jeunesse. “We will have the pleasure of managing this event while showcasing our thriving literary scene." 
 
Submissions for all of the CCBC awards will be live on January 20, 2020 on our website. Communication-Jeunesse’s website will also highlight the details for the French-language awards. 

You can download the PDF of this press release here. 
 
For more information, please contact:

Emma Hunter
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Canadian Children’s Book Centre
Tel: 416-975-0010 ext. 221
emma@bookcentre.ca

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Le Centre du livre jeunesse canadien (CLJC) est ravi d’annoncer un nouveau partenariat avec Communication-Jeunesse, son homologue québécois. Depuis 1971, Communication-Jeunesse a le mandat de faire la promotion de la littérature québécoise et franco-canadienne pour la jeunesse. Avec nos valeurs fondamentales communes, un partenariat entre nos deux organisations va de soi. En 2020, Communication-Jeunesse supervisera les Prix du livre CLJC de langue française: le Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse et le Prix Harry Black de l’album jeunesse. En collaboration avec le CLJC, Communication-Jeunesse supervisera les soumissions, les jurys, la promotion de l’événement et l’organisation de la cérémonie de remise des prix pour les deux prix de langue française. 

«  Il n’y a pas de meilleure organisation pour superviser le Prix TD et le Prix Harry Black que Communication-Jeunesse », a déclaré Rose Vespa, Directrice générale du Centre du livre jeunesse canadien. «  Nous avons travaillé avec Communication-Jeunesse dans le passé pour notre banque de livres historiques et nous collaborons actuellement avec eux sur notre chaîne YouTube Bibliovidéo, ainsi que dans le cadre de la première journée Je lis canadien qui aura lieu le 19 février 2020. Nous sommes impatients de travailler avec Communication-Jeunesse sur les Prix de langue française du CLJC. » 
 
«  Nous sommes ravis de commencer cette nouvelle aventure avec le CLJC, le Groupe Banque TD et la marraine du Prix Harry Black, Mary Macchiusi », a déclaré Pénélope Jolicoeur, Directrice générale de Communication-Jeunesse. «  Nous aurons le plaisir d’administrer cet événement tout en mettant en valeur notre florissante scène littéraire. » 
 
Les candidatures pour tous les Prix du CLJC seront mises en ligne le 20 janvier 2020 sur les sites web du CLJC et de Communication-Jeunesse. 
 

Vous pouvez télécharger le PDF de ce communiqué en cliquant ici.

 
Pour plus d’information, veuillez contacter :

Pénélope Jolicoeur
Directrice générale
Communication-Jeunesse
514-286-6020, poste 305

The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) is pleased to officially launch a new set of membership criteria, expanded to recognize and respect the many ways authors learn and develop their craft, and to reflect the many forms of literary expression practiced by today’s authors.
 
More writers than ever before can access benefits such as funding for readings, professional development events and publications, group health insurance, as well as contract advice and grievance assistance.
 
For many years after its founding in 1973, the Union had one main membership criterion – that the applicant have “a book published by a commercial or academic press.” In 2013, after much research and internal debate, that rule was expanded to include self-published books that demonstrate commercial intent. This past year as part of the Union’s equity initiatives, the criteria was expanded further.
 

Authors at All Stages Can Benefit

“We now use a points-based system to determine eligibility,” noted TWUC Chair Anita Daher. “In this way, authors at all stages of their career can join the Union and benefit from our services.”
 
Following on work by TWUC’s Membership Criteria Review Task Force, discussion at the Unions’ annual general meeting, and a membership-wide referendum, the point system was approved.
 
Applicants need six points to qualify for membership. A professionally published or self-published book qualifies for all six points, but writers without books can put six points together with other qualifications. Creative writing degrees, magazine and journal publication, co-authorship, and the winning of a juried literary prize can all count toward an applicant’s points total. As well, the points system values other forms of literary expression, such as public readings and spoken word.
 
“The path to book publication has never been direct,” continued Daher, “and today writers come at publication from many different angles. Our new criteria is designed to respect this reality, and we look forward to welcoming and assisting new writers into the Union.”
 

Contract Advice Before Authors Sign

“What this means for the Union’s work,” added TWUC Executive Director John Degen, “is that we will now be able to offer contract advice to authors before they sign their first book deal. Too many first-time authors enter into agreements they later regret for one reason or another. We look forward to helping up-and-coming authors make better deals for themselves.”
 
Full details about joining the Union are available on TWUC’s website at writersunion.ca/apply.
 

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The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) is the national organization of professionally published writers. TWUC was founded in 1973 to work with governments, publishers, booksellers, and readers to improve the conditions of Canadian writers. Now over 2,100 members strong, TWUC promotes the rights, freedoms, and economic well-being of all writers. TWUC believes a lively and diverse literary culture is essential in defining Canada and its people. Learn more at writersunion.ca.

For additional information
John Degen, Executive Director
The Writers’ Union of Canada
416.703.8982 ext. 221
jdegen@writersunion.ca

October 28, 2019 (Toronto, ON) – A new nationwide initiative that celebrates the richness, diversity, and breadth of Canadian literature, was announced today. The I Read Canadian Day, taking place for the first time ever on February 19, 2020, will empower families, schools, libraries, bookstores, and organizations to host activities and events by reading Canadian books for just fifteen minutes.

“The purpose of this event,” says Rose Vespa, Executive Director of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, “is to raise awareness of Canadian books and to celebrate the excellence of Canadian literature.”
 
This initiative was created as a collaboration between the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC); children’s author Eric Walters; Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers (CANSCAIP); and the Ontario Library Association (OLA.).

“We want people to buy, borrow, read and talk about Canadian books – whether they are in English, French, or Indigenous languages, and can be in print, e-format and accessible formats,” says Sharon Jennings, president of CANSCAIP. “The target venues in the inaugural year are schools, public libraries, and bookstores. We hope parents, caretakers, educators, and others will join in!”
 
The social media campaign, using the hashtag #IReadCanadian, and the website, Ireadcanadian.com/day will launch October 28 on Canadian School Library Day. Registration will open December 1. Key activities will take place February 14 to February 21 with February 19 as the official I Read Canadian Day. 
 
“We want the entire nation to be excited about reading Canadian books,” says Meredith Tutching of the OLA. “We encourage everyone to take some time out of their day to read for fun and share their experiences.”

For more information, please contact:

Karen McMullin, National Publicist
Nimbus Publishing 
657-461-3824; kmcmullin@nimbus.ca
 
Emma Hunter
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
416-975-0010 ext. 221; emma@bookcentre.ca

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About the Organizers:
 
About the CCBC: The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) is a national, not- for-profit organization founded in 1976. We are dedicated to encouraging, promoting and supporting the reading, writing, illustrating and publishing of Canadian books for young readers. Our programs, publications, and resources help teachers, librarians, booksellers and parents select the very best for young readers. See more at bookcentre.ca.

About Eric Walters: It all began in 1993 when Eric was teaching a Grade 5 class. His students were reluctant readers and writers and Eric began to write to encourage them to become more involved in literature. Since his first novel Eric has exploded on the children’s and young adult scene.  Over the following years he has published over 104 more novels and picture books with 8 more scheduled in the coming years. Eric is the recipient of The Order of Canada for his contribution to literature. See more at ericwalters.net.
 
About CANSCAIP: CANSCAIP is dedicated to Canadian children's authors, illustrators and performers and their work. We provide promotional and networking opportunities to over 400 professional Members and 600 Friends, making us the largest organization in Canada supporting creative work for children and teens. Canada's creators for young people have achieved great success here and around the world, and CANSCAIP has been an important part of encouraging that success. See more at canscaip.org.

About the Forest of Reading: The Forest of Reading^® is Canada's largest recreational reading program! This initiative of the Ontario Library Association (OLA) offers ten reading programs to encourage a love of reading in people of all ages. The Forest helps celebrate Canadian books, publishers, authors and illustrators. More than 270,000 readers participate annually from their school and/or public library. All Canadians are invited to participate via their local public library, school library, or individually. See more at accessola.com/forest.
 
About the Ontario Library Association: Founded in 1900, the OLA is the oldest continually operating non-profit library association in Canada. With more than 5,000 members, the OLA is the largest library association in the country. We provide the chance for library staff and supporters to share experience and expertise while creating innovative solutions in a constant changing environment. We offer opportunities for learning, networking, recognizing, influencing and celebrating within the library world. See more at accessola.org.

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To book an interview with Meredith Tutching from the OLA, Sharon Jennings from CANSCAIP, or Eric Walters, please contact Karen McMullin, National Publicist, Nimbus Publishing 647-461-3824, or by email at kmcmullin@nimbus.ca. 
 

To book an interview with Rose Vespa, Executive Director, Canadian Children’s Book Centre, please contact Emma Hunter, Marketing and Communications Coordinator at 416-975-0010 ext. 221, or by e-mail at emma@bookcentre.ca. 

Introducing Bibliovideo: a new YouTube channel launching next spring that will showcase videos on all aspects of Canadian books for young people and be the place for librarians, teachers, parents, book creators, reviewers and readers. The trailer premiered at the 2019 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Awards in Toronto last week. View the trailer here.

With funding from the Canada Council for the Arts' Digital Strategy Fund, the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) has pulled together a consortium of key players in the kids' book community to steer the development of Bibliovideo. The channel will be a great place to connect with our books and will include fiction and non-fiction, new titles and old, and books in English, French and Indigenous languages.

“Everything we do at the CCBC is related to one central goal: to support and promote Canadian books for young people,” says Rose Vespa, Executive Director of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre. “Bibliovideo, for us, is a new digitalized approach to something we have been working towards since the 1970s. This will be a new, collaborative, digital hub for everyone who loves reading.” 
 
Bibliovideo will be an exciting venue for promoting great Canadian books for kids and teens and we welcome your submissions to add to our playlists. “Help us take your passion for Canadian kids’ books from page to screen,” says Janis Nostbakken, Project Director. “We’re looking for a wide range of videos in English, French and Indigenous languages – author interviews, read-alongs, how-to demos from illustrators, publishers’ trailers, book reviews from teachers, parents or kids.”

Do you have ready-made videos that relate to Canadian children’s books? You can e-mail janis@bookcentre.ca with a title, video length and video description and she’ll include it in her database of prospective videos. 
 
The CCBC is committed to ensuring that there is better digital access and promotion of these exceptional Canadian books to raise awareness and promote literacy.