Libraries, Publishing, and Bookselling: Responses to Globe and Mail Op-Ed
August 8, 2020
On July 25, The Globe and Mail published an opinion piece by Kenneth Whyte, former National Post editor and current publisher of Sutherland House Books, where he blames the closing of independent bookstores and publishers’ financial troubles on public libraries.
Over the last few weeks, a number of individuals and organizations from the library and publishing community have responded.
July 25
Overdue: Throwing the Book at Libraries (Globe and Mail)
Kenneth Whyte
July 27
CULC/CBUC Response to Globe & Mail article
Canadian Urban Libraries Council
A last bastion of equality
Meera Nair
July 28
Libraries vs Bookstores? No, False dichotomy. They are different Animals
Brewster Kahle
Publisher Decries Damn Libraries Entertaining The Masses Stuck At Home For Free (Techdirt)
Mike Masnick
July 30
A Quarter-Billion Dollar Bag of Beans: Responding to Ken Whyte’s Attack on Library Book Loans
Michael Geist
July 31
Canadian Libraries Respond to ‘Globe and Mail’ Essay Attacking Public Libraries (Publishers Weekly)
Canadian Urban Libraries Council
August 1
Letters to the Editor (Globe and Mail)
- Kate Edwards Executive director, Association of Canadian Publishers
August 2
Letters to the Editor (Globe and Mail)
August 6
BPAA Statement on Libraries
Book Publishers Association of Alberta (BPAA)
CFLA-FCAB Response to Globe and Mail Op-ed (PDF)
Canadian Federation of Library Associations
August 7
The libraries strike back (ShuSH)
Kenneth Whyte
Small booksellers could take a page from libraries on adapting (London Free Press)
Robin Baranyai
Background Material
Independent bookstores in Canada’s post-Covid cultural landscape (PDF) (2020)
More Canada
Covid-19 and the challenge to chain retail bookstores in Canada’s cultural landscape (PDF) (2020)
More Canada
Borrow, Buy, Read: Library Use and Book Buying in Canada (2019)
BookNet Canada
Public Lending Right (PLR) Program
Canada Council for the Arts