About BookNet Canada

BookNet Canada is a non-profit organization that develops technology, standards, and education to serve the Canadian book industry. Founded in 2002 to address systemic challenges in the industry, BookNet Canada supports publishing companies, booksellers, wholesalers, distributors, sales agents, industry associations, literary agents, media, and libraries across the country.

BookNet Canada’s services and research help companies promote and sell books, streamline workflows, and analyze and adapt to a rapidly changing market. BookNet Canada sets technology standards and educates organizations about how to apply them, performs market research, and tracks 85% of all English-language Canadian print book sales through BNC SalesData.

Industry-led and partially funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage, BookNet Canada has become, as The Globe and Mail puts it, “the book industry’s supply-chain nerve centre.”

Environmental sustainability

At BookNet Canada, we’re committed to environmental sustainability. As we work towards reducing our carbon emissions, we’re proud to announce that BookNet Canada’s operations from 2020 to 2023 have been Carbonzero Certified.

Regular parts of our work, like keeping our servers running, add to our business’ carbon footprint. With the help of Carbonzero, we’re offsetting these carbon emissions through investments in projects that permanently reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

As an organization, we’ve chosen to support the Ontario Greenhouse Biomass to Energy Project and the Smart Soil Carbon Project to offset our 2023 emissions.

What we do

1. Supply Chain Technology

We create technology services to increase accuracy and efficiency in the Canadian supply chain.

The BiblioShare suite of services, including metadata aggregation, metadata creation and maintenance, and bibliographic data distribution (APIs):

• BiblioShare

• Bibliographic Data Distribution

• Webform for ONIX creation

CataList: A powerful digital catalogue tool for marketing, selling, and ordering books.

EDI: Makes sharing orders, shipment notices, and invoices fast and easy. 

SalesData: The national tracking service and analysis tool for print sales in the Canadian English-language trade book market.

LibraryData: A national library collection and circulation analysis tool.

2. Standards & Certification

Standards are the linchpin of the supply chain. We develop and maintain them so industry technology can run smoothly and benefit everyone. We actively work on the standards in these four areas:

• Metadata (ONIX)

• Identifiers

• Subject & Classification Schemes

• EDI

3. Research & Education

BookNet provides the industry with actionable research and forward-thinking professional development.

• Tech Forum and ebookcraft

• The Canadian Book Market annual report

• The Canadian Book Consumer research reports

• Custom research reports

• Webinars, tutorials, and training

Board of Directors

The BookNet Canada Board of Directors is comprised of a cross-section of representatives from firms across the publishing supply chain and the industry’s professional associations. If you have any questions pertaining to the Board of Directors, please get in touch.

CHAIR

Jeffrey Begley
Chief Technology Officer, Library Bound Inc.
Association of Canadian Book Wholesalers

SECRETARY-TREASURER

Lita Barrie
Chief Executive Officer, Burlington Public Library
Canadian Urban Libraries Council

DIRECTORS

Hilary Atleo
Owner, Iron Dog Books
Canadian Independent Booksellers Association

Karen Brochu
Publisher, House of Anansi Press
Association of Canadian Publishers

Catherine Gerbasi
Owner & Publisher, Portage & Main Press
Association of Canadian Publishers

Michael Guy-Haddock
Vice President of Sales, Simon & Schuster Canada
Canadian Publishers' Council