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Save Your Library!

Posted on November 14th, 2008 jean 1 comment

For awhile, reading Publishers Lunch everyday was like a constantly updated Who’s Who of small bookstores that were closing their doors due to the economy’s gentle slide downhill. Now that the economy is considered to be officially on the downhill slide, reading Publishers Lunch has become like reading a Who’s Who of library budget cuts.

It bothers me when libraries get cut. Especially with the increasing cost of books, the increasing demand for technology and technology upgrades, increase in staff costs, etc. How will they keep up?

Several years ago, working in a school library it became a sad state of affairs. School budgets were being cut and principals were turning to their libraries to pass on the favour. Librarians were given less resources, more work and less time to do it all. It is a proven fact that a school with a well-funded library has better test scores and higher literacy rates. So, as literacy declined, the government entered combat mode and began allocating funds to schools for a literacy program. (Not libraries.) Meanwhile, their libraries would wallow and flounder. Silly people, read your research! After a few years, the money would run out and the literacy program would shut down. Not exactly a long term solution.

Now the cuts are heading into the public domain. For example, in today’s Publishers Lunch, the news is that the governor of New York is proposing that they cut the library budget by 20%. That is a BIG cut. Particularly since “library usage has skyrocketed over the last year as more people turn to libraries for finding jobs, improving their literacy skills and for free reading materials and programs for their families”. (Michael Borges executive director, NY Library Assoc.) P.S. If you are in Albany, NY, join the Rally against the cuts in the Well of the Legislative Office Building from 1-2:30 pm on Tuesday, November 18th.

What do all these cuts mean? It means less new books (which means less sales for the new authors as well, plus less exposure as the libraries will buy the big name authors and be less likely to spend their money on an unknown or new author), it means older equipment in libraries, less staff to shelve books, research the good books and order them, less services and programs (inter-library loans, research for patrons, children programing, special features) for the public as well as reduced hours open to the public. These are just a few things off the top of my head. What we don’t know is how this is going to affect literacy in communities. For example, in poorer communities, they may even shut down libraries (there has been talk of that already in some areas). So what does this big budget cut spell for those neighbourhoods?

You can’t cut without consequences. We aren’t just cutting a few jobs, we’re lowering literacy (and making it harder for a new writer to break out). Wow. Do you think the governor would think twice if he knew that?
book news breakout authors, budget cuts, funding cuts, library cuts, NY library cuts, publishers lunch
Canadian Dollar and Book Sales

Posted on October 22nd, 2008 jean 1 comment

Once upon a time, not too long ago, people in Canadian bookstores were getting into fisty cuffs over book prices. You see the Canadian dollar began to soar to heights previously unknown. The problem is that in Canada books are marked with American prices and Canadian prices. The American price is always much lower than the Canadian price. (For example, a $3 difference for the average paperback.) It seemed as though Canadians got a bit tired of getting stiffed with unreasonable prices. And so they began throwing books back at Canadian booksellers when they wouldn’t give them the American price (in Canada). It seemed as though some folks forgot that just because the Canadian dollar was currently higher than the American dollar, it did not mean that we all got to pretend we were suddenly Americans in American bookstores and should be getting American prices. Nobody thought about the fact that these books had likely been purchased while the Canadian dollar was low and that there are usually increased costs in deliverying a book to Canada, both accounting for a higher list price. Plus, there is also the small fact that the Canadian dollar would not remain on the top of the heap forever. Eventually some books began to reflect the high Canadian dollar in regards to price and some booksellers honoured the American price from time to time. Yet, in the back of our minds, we knew it wasn’t something we could enjoy forever.

And now the time has come. The Canadian dollar, according to Publishers Lunch, has declined to its lowest point in three years. So what does that mean for booksellers and book buyers in Canada? Well, book prices are going to go back up, right?

“The plunge has been so quick that it leaves little time to react heading into the holiday season. Harper Canada ceo David Kent says that “there is a mad scramble to reprice US imported books; the difficulty is that there has been a yo-yo effect on the exchange rate” making it hard to set a new price level.” (Publishers Lunch, October 22nd, 2008.)

“If the Canadian dollar does not rebound soon more systemic repricing will be necessary though for now most executives have a wait-and-see approach. Davidar says “we’re being cautious about taking any new pricing decisions until we have a better sense of where the dollar will be in a few months’ time.” Practically speaking, broad repricing takes time. “It takes us from four to six months to change the prices on front-list titles; backlist would depend on when titles come up for reprint.” Hanson says “we are being careful about jumping too quickly. We don’t anticipate any changes through this holiday season.”" (Publishers Lunch, October 22, 2008.) That means lower prices still in effect! Yippeee!

“As Random House Canada president Brad Martin points out, consumers should be the winners in holiday buying.” [Yes!] ”"Books are even a greater value now then they were a month ago. This is a message that the entire industry in Canada should get behind as we move into the fall gift giving season.” With publishers’ margins taking a big hit, even more rides on those holiday sales. “We will have to sell more books to make up that shortfall,” Martin adds.”

So what is the moral of this story? Go buy some books! Forget about other gift ideas, books are where it’s at. To save the publishers, buy everyone on your Christmas list a book this year. I think I will.
book news book prices, book sales, Canadian dollar, publishers and the Canadian dollar, publishers lunch

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Welcome to my Website and Blog

I am an aspiring fiction writer (children's, women's and commercial) and a represented nonfiction writer. I am also a member, critiquer and site moderator over on AgentQueryConnect.com. Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to jump in the conversation and leave your thoughts in the comment section.

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