In the latest BookNet Canada-led Tech Forum presentations, our team shares valuable insights into our recent endeavours, from book and reader-related research to new product features, and updates to industry standards. These sessions empower you with the knowledge needed to leverage our products and services effectively and make informed decisions. Whether you're interested in specific topics or wish to explore all presentations, each session includes a video recording, a slide deck, and a transcript.
Book industry state of the nation 2024
We kick off with an in-depth presentation highlighting the most recent data on Canadian book buyers, readers, and consumers. Key insights include:
Shifts in consumer behaviour: Despite economic uncertainties and changing consumer spending habits, 80% of adult English-speaking Canadians read a book in 2023.
Rise of Romantasy: There has been significant growth in "romantasy" books, a blend of romance and fantasy genres, fuelled by authors like Sarah J. Maas and social media platforms like TikTok.
Digital and format preferences: While print remains dominant, there's a rising preference for ebooks and audiobooks, with audiobook consumption showing the largest year-over-year increase.
#StandardsGoals for 2024: What’s new for BISAC
Lauren Stewart updates us on the recent additions and changes to the BISAC list in the 2023 update. Key insights include:
Expansion of Indigenous representation: BookNet Canada led efforts to address gaps in Indigenous representation within BISAC across various genres and age categories.
Removal of harmful categorizations: Categories like "Legends, Myths & Fables" in Juvenile and Young Adult fiction were restructured. This change aimed to eliminate disrespectful groupings of Indigenous stories alongside fictional and historical narratives.
Market differentiation: To achieve clearer market differentiation of Indigenous-related BISAC codes, a "three-branch" methodology was proposed. This approach involves a main Indigenous branch with subheadings, supplemented by two additional subheadings to specify either Canadian or American context within the book's content.
New from BookNet Canada for 2024: BNC SalesData and LibraryData
Next, Lily Dwyer updates us on what 2023 brought for SalesData and LibraryData. Key insights include:
Expansion of reporting: In 2023, SalesData added over 30 new reporting retailers, and it now supports integrations for nine point-of-sale systems, including WooCommerce and upcoming Givex support.
Emerging sales trends: Notable shifts like a decline in Comics & Graphic Novels sales and growing interest in genres like Fantasy Romance.
New features: SalesData and LibraryData introduced a top 500 subjects toggle for easier comparison, additional filters for Market Share and Market Comp reports, and ISBN counts.
New from BookNet Canada for 2024: BNC CataList
Vivian Luu shares insights into what’s new with CataList over the last year. Key insights include:
Enhanced user tools: Introduction of new quick action buttons to manage titles efficiently. Users can now copy, move, or delete titles directly from different catalogue views.
Improved search: Significant upgrades to search tools include quotation marks for exact searches and new filters in the advanced search form, including filters for accessible products.
Integration with SalesData: CataList now integrates On Hand and On Order information from SalesData, providing users with comprehensive sales insights directly on the platform.
New from BookNet Canada for 2024: BNC BiblioShare
Next, Tim Middleton recaps the highlights from 2023 for the BiblioShare project. Key insights include:
New APIs: BookNet is launching two new APIs in 2024: the Author and Title Search API and the Accessibility API.
ONIX 3.0 migration: Continued focus on migrating from ONIX 2.1 to ONIX 3.0 while supporting both standards.
Web Services utilization: Significant growth with over 199 million requests in 2023 alone.
New from BookNet Canada for 2024: Loan Stars
Lastly, Kalpna Patel shares what 2023 brought for the Loan Stars program, and what’s in store for 2024. Key insights include:
Transition to data-driven selection: In 2023, Loan Stars shifted from library staff nominations to using LibraryData, aggregating loan, hold, and order information from Canadian libraries.
Introduction of specialty lists: Introduction of bi-monthly specialty lists focusing on Canadian releases.
Continued engagement: Plans for monthly publications alternating between adult, juvenile, and Canadian specialty lists in 2024.
Whether you're a publisher, librarian, or industry professional, these resources are crafted to support your decision-making and operational strategies throughout the year ahead. Be sure to watch these presentations and explore the rest of our Tech Forum content library.
Sales and library circulation data of Indigenous titles during the first quarter of 2024.