Hello BookNet Canada blog readers!
I’m Shimona Hirchberg, the new Research Intern here at BookNet, and I’m so happy to be here, right in the middle of the Canadian book industry action!
I come to BookNet via the publishing continuing education program at Ryerson and years of researching gigs within nonprofits and academia (mostly anthropology and education). I come from a family of readers and learners, and basically grew up in libraries. My mom earned a Master of Library & Information Science specializing in children’s literature, so she took my sisters and me to the library every day after elementary school. We read from our chosen treasures when we got home and ate ice cream. It was awesome.
I’ve kept up the book addiction since then: I’ve reached the maximum number of checked out items (50) and number of holds (100) at a library more than once. I’ve been a member of up to five libraries simultaneously, though right now I regularly use only one. I usually have at least one book with me; more if we're counting the ebooks in my OverDrive. I grew up with fully stocked bookshelves and I’m not about to let that go!
When I’m not reading serious books for personal and professional development, I'm reading fun picks like spy-filled historical romances or dystopian/cli-fi YA fiction books. I also enjoy following what my favourite feminist life coaches are doing, decluttering and Kondo-ing everything, belting out songs from musicals, dancing, and bonding with my roommate’s dog Meg (pictured with me in our first selfie together — look at that little grin!).
My secret love is exploring what's behind-the-scenes, so I'm excited to be part of the BookNet Canada team. I'm grateful for the opportunity to get the inside scoop and training on all the BNC products and services, especially the market data. All the Excel! (Stay tuned for the intriguing 2017 Canadian Book Market publication we're currently working on!) The speakers and session topics for March's Tech Forum are fantastic, too, and I'm excited to be helping out with it. If you're attending, say hello and introduce yourself at the conference!
Back to work! See you around.
