News

TORONTO, ONTARIO—(April 17, 2026)—The Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP), the Canadian Publishers’ Council (CPC), and the Literary Press Group of Canada (LPG) strongly condemn the Government of Alberta’s introduction of legislation that would restrict access to certain books in public libraries. Framed as a measure to limit young people’s exposure to “sexually explicit” images, the proposed law risks undermining the core principles of public libraries: open access to information, intellectual freedom, and trust in professional expertise.

Under the proposed legislation in Bill 28, materials deemed to contain visual depictions of sexual activity could be removed from general circulation and placed behind counters or in restricted areas, limiting access for those aged 15 and under. While presented as a safeguard, this approach introduces vague and subjective criteria that place an unnecessary administrative burden on library systems and staff, while restricting access to legitimate works of literature.

Public libraries are staffed by trained professionals who are well equipped to make informed, context-sensitive decisions about collections and age-appropriate access. Given that young people already navigate a vast and largely unregulated digital landscape, where content is frequently more explicit than that found in books, it is misplaced to focus scrutiny on public library collections. As with the government’s earlier directive affecting school libraries, this approach imposes a top-down framework without meaningful consultation. The Coalition of Alberta Public Libraries has confirmed that none of its members were consulted in the development of Bill 28.

The school library restrictions introduced by the Alberta Government earlier this year have shown that such measures can be resource-intensive and disproportionately affect works that address complex themes or diverse perspectives, including 2SLGBTQIA+ experiences. Similar outcomes are likely in public libraries, with Canadian-authored and published titles at risk of restriction.

“We are concerned to see yet another legislative effort in Alberta that limits access to information and interferes with the work of librarians,” said Alana Wilcox, President of the Association of Canadian Publishers. “Public libraries are vital spaces for learning and exploration, and their collections should be shaped by professional expertise, not broad and overreaching legislation.”

Beyond these provisions, the bill also grants sweeping authority to the provincial government to oversee and intervene in the management and operations of public libraries. Proposed measures would allow appointed inspectors to examine library practices and records, and enable the minister to issue orders on a wide range of matters. This level of control raises serious concerns about potential intrusion into library collections, operations, and user privacy.

ACP, CPC, and LPG call on the Government of Alberta to:

• Withdraw this legislation;
• Engage in meaningful consultation with public library systems, librarians, educators, and community stakeholders; and
• Respect the principles of intellectual freedom, professional expertise, and equitable access that underpin public libraries.
• Restrictions on library materials ultimately constrain access to knowledge, sideline important perspectives, and weaken confidence in the institutions and professionals that support informed, engaged communities. We urge the Government of Alberta to reconsider this approach and stand in support of the librarians, authors, publishers, and community members across Alberta who are working to oppose these changes.

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ACP is the national voice of English-language Canadian-owned book publishers. ACP contributes to the development and maintenance of vibrant, competitive book publishing companies in order to support and strengthen the contribution that Canadian books make to Canada’s cultural, economic, and educational landscape.

The Canadian Publishers’ Council (CPC) represents the interests of publishing companies that publish books and other media for elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, professional and reference markets, and the retail and library sectors. CPC maintains liaison with major Canadian and international sector associations in writing and publishing, to monitor key developments in the sector and advocate for policies that promote a healthy and prosperous industry.

Founded in 1975, the Literary Press Group of Canada (LPG) is a not-for-profit association that represents Canadian-owned and -operated literary book publishers located across the country. LPG’s members produce books by some of Canada’s most innovative and creative writers, giving readers access to diverse voices that have not been well represented in mainstream publishing.

For more information, contact:

Jack Illingworth
Executive Director, ACP
jack_illingworth@canbook.org

What independently-published books were most borrowed by library patrons in March 2026?*

We consulted the data — specifically, the BookNet Canada LibraryData — to find the top 50 loaned books!

*Note that this graphic represents the four-week period of March 1 – March 29, 2026.

What independently-published books were most borrowed by library patrons in February 2026?

We consulted the data — specifically, the BookNet Canada LibraryData — to find the top 50 loaned books!

Note that this graphic represents the four-week period of February 1 – March 1, 2026.

Canada’s book sector stands with Nova Scotia’s arts community ahead of province-wide rallies against budget cuts to cultural programs

TORONTO, ONTARIO—(March 4, 2026)—Organizations representing Canada’s publishing, writing, and bookselling sectors stand in solidarity with artists, cultural workers, and arts organizations across Nova Scotia as communities prepare to gather at rallies throughout the province calling for the reversal of sweeping cuts to arts and culture funding.

The proposed provincial budget includes a 30% reduction to operational funding for arts, culture, and heritage organizations, a $14 million cut to discretionary funding within the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage, and the elimination or reduction of more than 70 grant programs totalling over $130 million.

We are especially alarmed by the Government of Nova Scotia’s decision to eliminate all provincial funding for independent publishers through the cancellation of the Publishers Assistance program. This devastating cut effectively reduces annual support for publishers from $700,000 to zero, making Nova Scotia the only province in Canada that does not invest in its own book publishers.

The publishers affected by this decision are independent, Nova Scotia–based companies that make significant contributions to the province’s economy, educational landscape, and cultural life—and to Canada’s publishing ecosystem as a whole. Collectively, these presses publish 100+ new books each year, employ local staff, contract local freelancers, work with Nova Scotian authors and illustrators, and supply books to schools, libraries, bookstores, and readers across the country.

Independent publishers are often the sole purveyors of local voices and regional perspectives. With this funding eliminated, fewer Nova Scotian stories will be written, published, and shared. At a time when cultural sovereignty is increasingly vital, cutting support for local publishing is a step in the wrong direction. Across Canada, publisher assistance programs strengthen the book publishing sector in order to ensure our stories, histories, and ideas are told by and for people in our communities, rather than being watered-down to suit larger, external markets.

The elimination of the Publishers Assistance program is a shocking about-face from the Government's previously-held position that the province is “renowned for our storytellers,” one they affirmed as recently as last fall with their launch of the Nova Scotia Loyal book industry pilot program. With these announced cuts, those same storytellers are now being left behind.

“Independent publishers are essential cultural infrastructure,” said Alana Wilcox, President of the Association of Canadian Publishers. “When provincial support for publishing is eliminated, the impact is immediate and far-reaching—fewer books by local authors, fewer jobs, and fewer opportunities for Nova Scotian stories to reach readers. This decision weakens not only the province’s publishing sector, but Canada’s cultural landscape writ large.”

As artists, arts organizations, and supporters gather at rallies across Nova Scotia in the coming days, Canada’s book sector stands with them in calling for meaningful investment in arts and culture. The Nova Scotia budget has not yet passed, and there remains an opportunity for the province to reconsider cuts that will have lasting consequences for creators, communities, and cultural life in the province. We urge the Government of Nova Scotia to reverse these cuts and to recognize that sustained investment in local publishing is an investment in economic resilience and cultural vitality.

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The book organizations that have signed on to this release include:

Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP)
Association nationale des éditeurs de livres (ANEL)
Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association (APMA)
Canadian Independent Booksellers Association (CIBA)
Literary Press Group of Canada (LPG)
Regroupement des éditeurs franco-canadiens (REFC)
The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC)
Association of English-language Publishers of Quebec (AELAQ)
Association of Manitoba Book Publishers (AMBP)
Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia (Books BC)
Book Publishers Association of Alberta (BPAA)
Ontario Book Publishers Organization (OBPO)
SaskBooks
Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS)

The Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP) is the national voice of English-language Canadian-owned book publishers. ACP contributes to the development and maintenance of vibrant, competitive book publishing companies in order to support and strengthen the contribution that Canadian books make to Canada’s cultural, economic, and educational landscape.

For more information, contact:

Jack Illingworth
Executive Director, ACP
jack_illingworth@canbook.org

TORONTO, ONTARIO—(February 26, 2026)—The Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP) and the Literary Press Group of Canada (LPG) are deeply disappointed by the Government of Nova Scotia’s decision to eliminate provincial funding for independent publishers through the cancellation of the Publishers Assistance program. With this devastating cut, support for local publishers has been reduced from $700,000 annually to zero, making Nova Scotia the only province in Canada that does not invest in its own book publishers.

The move is a shocking about-face from the Government's previously-held position that the province is "renowned for our storytellers," one they affirmed as recently as last fall with their launch of the Nova Scotia Loyal book industry pilot program. With these announced cuts, those same storytellers are now being left behind.

The publishers affected by this decision are independent, Nova Scotia–based companies that make significant contributions to the province’s economy, educational landscape, and cultural life—and to Canada’s publishing ecosystem as a whole. Collectively, these presses publish 100+ new books each year, employ local staff, contract local freelancers, work with Nova Scotian authors and illustrators, and supply books to schools, libraries, bookstores, and readers across the country.

Independent publishers are often the only ones committed to publishing local voices and regional perspectives. With this funding eliminated, fewer Nova Scotian stories will be written, published, and shared. At a time when cultural sovereignty is increasingly vital, cutting support for local publishing is a step in the wrong direction. Across Canada, publisher assistance programs strengthen the book publishing sector in order to ensure our stories, histories, and ideas are told by and for people in our communities, rather than being watered-down to suit larger, external markets.

“Independent publishers are essential cultural infrastructure,” said Alana Wilcox, President of the Association of Canadian Publishers. “When provincial support for publishing is eliminated, the impact is immediate and far-reaching—fewer books by local authors, fewer jobs, and fewer opportunities for Nova Scotian stories to reach readers. This decision weakens not only the province’s publishing sector, but Canada’s cultural landscape writ large.”

“Nova Scotia has a brilliant and singular literary tradition, one that until now was underpinned by government investment in its writing and publishing community,” said Norm Nehmetallah, the Literary Press Group’s Board Chair. “At a time when interest in buying and supporting local is at an all-time high in our country, the decision to remove a pillar of support for Nova Scotia publishers—among other arts organizations receiving cuts—is a bewildering move. It has been proven time and again across this country that investment in the arts yields real economic returns. We urge the Nova Scotia government to recognize that reality and reverse this decision.”

These cuts are part of a broader package of reductions to arts and culture funding in the province, and they will have long-term consequences for creators, cultural workers, and readers in Nova Scotia and beyond.

ACP and LPG stand with the Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association and with Nova Scotian publishers, writers, and booksellers in expressing serious concern about the damage this decision will cause. We urge the Government of Nova Scotia to reverse the elimination of support to book publishers and restore the Publishing Assistance Fund of $700,000 to recognize, along with every other province, that sustained investment in local publishing is an investment in economic resilience and cultural vitality.

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The Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP) is the national voice of English-language Canadian-owned book publishers. ACP contributes to the development and maintenance of vibrant, competitive book publishing companies in order to support and strengthen the contribution that Canadian books make to Canada’s cultural, economic, and educational landscape.

Founded in 1975, the Literary Press Group of Canada (LPG) is a not-for-profit association that represents Canadian-owned and -operated literary book publishers located across the country. LPG’s members produce books by some of Canada’s most innovative and creative writers, giving readers access to diverse voices that have not been well represented in mainstream publishing.

Together, ACP and LPG represent 129 independent Canadian-owned book publishers across the country.

For more information, contact:

Jack Illingworth
Executive Director, ACP
jack_illingworth@canbook.org

What independently-published books were most borrowed by library patrons in January 2026?

We consulted the data — specifically, the BookNet Canada LibraryData — to find the top 50 loaned books!

Note that this graphic represents the four-week period of January 4 – February 2, 2026.

What independently-published books were most borrowed by library patrons in November 2025?

We consulted the data — specifically, the BookNet Canada LibraryData — to find the top 50 loaned books. Note that this graphic represents the four-week period of November 30 – December 28, 2025.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Canadian Publishers Stand with Library Community in Opposing Repeal of Library Mailing Provisions

Publishing associations join national accessibility and library organizations in opposing the repeal of Canada Post provisions that ensure equitable access to books for all Canadians.

December 15, 2025

The Canadian publishing industry joins the National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS), the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA), and the broader Canadian library community in urging the federal government to withdraw amendments to the Canada Post Corporation Act introduced in Bill C-15 that jeopardize equitable access to books for Canadians across the country.

The provisions slated for removal ensure:

• Free mailing of letters, books, tapes, records, and similar materials for the use of people who are blind through the Literature for the Blind program, and
• Reduced postage for library materials, commonly known as the Library Book Rate.

These long-standing measures are foundational to equitable access to reading materials in Canada. Blind Canadians rely on the free mailing program to access information, cultural materials, and educational resources. The Library Book Rate benefits all Canadians by ensuring that materials can circulate nationally, which is not only vital in serving remote, rural, and northern communities, but also supports inter-library loans in urban areas.

Canadian publishers are concerned that the proposed repeal was introduced without prior notice, consultation, or mention in the November 4, 2025 federal budget, instead only appearing in Bill C-15 (Budget Implementation Act). Removing these provisions would have immediate and harmful impacts on readers who rely on accessible materials, the public libraries that serve them, and the publishers and authors whose works circulate through this system. Publishers support maintaining and strengthening the Library Book Rate, the Literature for the Blind program, and other public-interest postal measures that ensure equitable access to reading materials nationwide.

While we commend Canada Post for stating their intention to maintain the Library Book Rate regardless of changes to the Canada Post Corporation Act, publishers and libraries emphasize that the rate must remain enshrined in legislation to ensure long-term stability and affordability.

Canadian publishers stand with NNELS and CELA in calling on Parliament to preserve these provisions in full, recognizing their essential role in ensuring national access to library materials. Additionally, the government must commit to thorough and transparent consultation with affected communities before proposing any future changes to these protections.

For more information on how individuals and organizations can participate in this advocacy effort—including a template letter to send to Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works, and Procurement—please visit the NNELS website.

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The Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP) is the national voice of English-language Canadian-owned book publishers. ACP contributes to the development and maintenance of vibrant, competitive book publishing companies in order to support and strengthen the contribution that Canadian books make to Canada’s cultural, economic, and educational landscape.

The Association nationale des éditeurs de livres (ANEL) brings together the vast majority of French-language publishing houses in Quebec and Canada. Its mission is to support the growth of the publishing industry and ensure the visibility of Quebec and Franco-Canadian books nationally and internationally, particularly by advocating for the respect of copyright. Member publishing houses of the Association publish various types of works, from novels to textbooks, including essays and children's books.

The Canadian Publishers’ Council (CPC) represents the interests of publishing companies that publish books and other media for elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, professional and reference markets, and the retail and library sectors. CPC maintains liaison with major Canadian and international sector associations in writing and publishing, to monitor key developments in the sector and advocate for policies that promote a healthy and prosperous industry.

Founded in 1975, the Literary Press Group of Canada (LPG) is a not-for-profit association that represents Canadian-owned and -operated literary book publishers from coast to coast. Their members produce books by some of Canada’s most innovative and creative writers, giving readers access to diverse voices that have not been well represented in mainstream publishing. In addition to their cultural contributions, LPG members are small businesses that support local economies through the full range of their business activities, from editorial, design, and production to marketing, sales, and distribution.

The Regroupement des éditeurs franco-canadiens (REFC) was created to enable French-language publishing houses to undertake concerted actions in the areas of marketing, promotion, representation, and training. It also promotes a partnership-oriented approach by encouraging cooperation among members and key stakeholders in the book ecosystem, thereby ensuring consultation, dialogue, and collaboration with organizations committed to the cultural development of French-speaking communities in Canada.

For more information, contact:
Jack Illingworth
Executive Director, ACP
jack_illingworth@canbook.org

What independently-published books were most borrowed by library patrons in November 2025?

We consulted the data — specifically, the BookNet Canada LibraryData — to find the top 50 loaned books. Note that this graphic represents the four-week period of November 2 – November 30, 2025.

What independently-published books were most borrowed by library patrons in October 2025?

We consulted the data - specifically, the BookNet Canada LibraryData - to find the top 50 loaned books. Note that this graphic represents the four-week period of October 5 – November 2, 2025.