Wellness, Culture and Sport

Book policy released (08/09/09)

NB 1292

Sept. 9, 2008

DIEPPE (CNB) - Government today released its first book policy in order to strengthen the publishing industry, increase access to New Brunswick books, and promote and foster reading.

(Multimedia)

Minister of Wellness, Culture and Sport Hédard Albert released the document, Creating a Culture of Books and Reading - The New Brunswick Book Policy during a public event in Dieppe. He was joined by representatives from the arts and literary community from across New Brunswick.

"With today's book policy the government is fulfilling another commitment outlined in the Charter for Change, and reaffirmed in the 2007 speech from the throne," said Albert. "By adopting this policy, government recognizes the richness and excellence of the province's literary output, and the importance of books as bearers of our province's unique identity."

Creating a Culture of Books and Reading - The New Brunswick Book Policy outlines the government's objectives and strategies to strengthen the publishing industry, to increase access to New Brunswick books, and to promote and foster reading.

"The government acknowledges its duty to put forth a vision to ensure that New Brunswick offers unprecedented opportunities for personal and collective growth, and that books and reading must be at the heart of it," said Albert.

The book policy outlines six objectives with specific strategies that are part of a three-year action plan. A total of $555,000 will be invested by the provincial government to implement the plan. Its objectives are:

• to foster the development and visibility of New Brunswick books through increased support for writers and publishers;
• to improve access to books and to foster reading in the public library system;
• to introduce measures to ensure increased access to books throughout New Brunswick;
• to give a predominant place to books, particularly New Brunswick books, and to reading, at all levels of education;
• to encourage New Brunswickers to further integrate books and the joy of reading into their daily lives; and
• to make access to books and reading a widespread and ongoing commitment within the provincial government.

In three years, the government will evaluate implementation of the policy, and will take the necessary steps to continue carrying it out in light of the findings and recommendations that emerge.

Creating a Culture of Books and Reading - The New Brunswick Book Policy may be found at: http://www.gnb.ca/0131/index-e.asp.

08/09/09

EDITOR'S NOTE: The book policy action plan follows. MEDIA CONTACT: Vicky Deschênes, communications, Wellness, Culture and Sport, 506-457-6445.

Book policy action plan

Objective 1
Foster the development and visibility of New Brunswick books through increased support for writers and publishers.

• Identify opportunities for authors to become involved in improving writing in schools, familiarizing adults in literacy courses with writing, and building a literate society.
• Develop and implement a government program to support the translation of New Brunswick literature into French, English, Mi'kmaq or Maliseet.
• Explore options for tying New Brunswick literature into the province's branding, particularly with respect to tourism and marketing of the province.
• Revise the existing government publishing assistance program to better reflect the needs of the New Brunswick publishing industry.
• Increase provincial support to New Brunswick publishers to enable them to be more competitive nationally.
• As part of the provincial strategy announced in the speech from the throne, ensure that literacy campaigns highlight works by New Brunswick authors and publishers.
• Create and implement new literary prizes for books written by New Brunswick authors.
• Ensure that laws and regulations pertaining to Access Copyright are known and reflected throughout government.
• Strengthen the presence of New Brunswick authors on the regional, national and international scenes.

Objective 2
Improve access to books, and foster reading in the public library system.

• Enhance the presence and visibility of New Brunswick books in the province's public libraries and bookmobiles.
• Promote New Brunswick authors and New Brunswick publications made available through the public library network by creating a public, interactive, online resource on the New Brunswick Public Library Service website.

Objective 3
Introduce measures to ensure increased access to books throughout New Brunswick.

• Provide independent bookstores with a grant program that helps them adapt to changing trends in the book retail sector (that is, information technology).
• Explore the feasibility of developing a book-buying policy for the Government of New Brunswick.

Objective 4
Give a predominant place to books, particularly New Brunswick books, and to reading at all levels of education.

• Enhance the collection and improve the visibility of New Brunswick books in school libraries.
• Develop and implement an authors-in-schools program for New Brunswick authors, while maintaining the author tours that take place through the Quebec/New Brunswick agreement.
• Increase the core collection of books in the public library system adapted to the learning and reading needs of adult learners.
• Encourage the publication of books for and/or by Aboriginals, to support the preservation of their culture.
• Promote the publication of books that are adapted to the reading level of adult learners, and that reflect their social and cultural realities.

Objective 5
Encourage New Brunswickers to integrate books and the joy of reading into their daily lives.

• Ensure that public libraries and organizations and events promoting books and reading are able to offer more activities promoting New Brunswick authors and books, as well as offering books and reading to the public (that is, resource guide and financial support for public libraries to offer author tours on a yearly basis, etc.).

Objective 6
Make access to books and reading a pervasive and ongoing commitment within the provincial government.

• Maintain the interdepartmental team that will ensure the implementation and evaluation of the book policy.
• Specify data relating to the book sector that should be tracked by government in order to develop benchmarks and track future growth.
• In three years, conduct an evaluation of the impact of the policy in relation to its goals, and identify next steps to continue to implement policy objectives.

08/09/09