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Greetings,
With spring just around the corner, we’re embracing a season of renewal—and for our industry, that means standing together and doubling down on advocacy efforts.
The proposed 25% tariff on books imported from the U.S. threatens the entire Canadian book industry—booksellers, publishers, authors, and readers alike. Last week, we formally submitted a letter to the Canadian Government urging an exemption for books. We continue to publicly advocate for books to be exempt and, like many booksellers, have been engaging with media—read more in The Globe and Mail.
We are working on an action plan and need your engagement. If you haven't already, we encourage you to write to the list of contacts below to let them know that you believe books should be removed from the proposed tariffs list. Please feel free to use the arguments outlined in our letter.
First, submit formally here or by email to consultations@fin.gc.ca with the words “U.S. Tariff Consultations" in the subject line.
Then, send your letter to:
We need the government to hear from readers across the country. To make it easy, we’re preparing a form letter your customers can send using a QR code for quick submission. We’ll send another email in the next 48 hours with instructions.
We know all of you are anxious about the possibility of books being subject to tariffs, and we want to thank the booksellers who joined yesterday’s Coffee Break session to connect as a community and talk through this issue with us. You can find some of the resources we've gathered in the Booksellers Forum. If you have specific concerns or insights, please share them with Laura.
Beyond advocacy, this month’s newsletter brings bookseller opportunities, industry updates, and fresh ideas for the season ahead. Let’s dive in! |
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CIBD 2025 Toolkit Now Available
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Canadian Independent Bookstore Day (CIBD) is just around the corner! Our campaign toolkit is now live for CIBA members, offering ideas, sample social posts, digital assets, resources for outreach to local media and government officials, and more. Members can log in to access the toolkit here.
We plan to publicly launch the campaign on Wednesday, April 2, and will ramp up promotion throughout the month leading up to the big day. With support from our publishing partners, you'll also see significant promotion from Canadian authors and illustrators in the lead-up to April 26.
Don't forget to keep us in the loop about your plans! We're eager to amplify bookstore activities. Please tag @indiebookstoresCA in your posts and use #CIBD2025 so we can share them on our channels.
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The Bookseller Forum is the place to talk shop with your fellow members. This month, we asked: “What are you planning for CIBD 2025?” Please visit the forum to join the conversation or consider filling out this form with details about your CIBD plans. Sharing helps strengthen the industry overall and keeps your store top of mind when we begin promoting bookseller activities in April.
Let's make CIBD 2025 a memorable celebration of our vibrant indie bookstore community! |
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Register Now: Upcoming Events
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Engaging Online in 2025 and Beyond
Thursday, April 3
12pm PT, 1pm MT, 2pm CT, 3pm ET, 4pm AT, 4:30pm Newfoundland
It's a new era for online marketing, and now is the perfect time for booksellers and publishers to re-envision what online community engagement can look like. Join Ariel Hudnall, Managing Director at Zg Stories, as she talks Meta, Bluesky, Discord, and decentralized social media, in addition to leveraging your Bookmanager website, newsletters, local collaborations, and micro advertising to support a vibrant, engaged, online community.
This event is open to all CIBA member types.
Three is the Magic Number: Raincoast Books, Publishers Group Canada, and Book Express Explained!
Tuesday April 15
12pm PT, 1pm MT, 2pm CT, 3pm ET, 4pm AT, 4:30pm Newfoundland
Who does what and how can the three divisions of Raincoast Distribution Group help you grow your business? Sales Directors Terri Harker (Raincoast Books, Vancouver) and Lori Richardson (PGC Books, Toronto) will demystify all, and answer burning questions.
Ask Us ANYTHING! CIBA Mentor Event Tuesday April 22
12pm PT, 1pm MT, 2pm CT, 3pm ET, 4pm AT, 4:30pm Newfoundland
Are you looking for new ways to improve your business? Here’s your chance to ask an experienced bookseller anything!
Mentor: Anjula Gogia, Manager and Events Team at Another Story Bookshop (ON) |
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Publisher Picks: Spring Picks from Independent Canadian Publishers
If you’re looking for a list of new, or soon-to-be-released books that will help your customers focus their buying-power on supporting Canadian business, be sure to watch our latest event recording! At our recent Publisher Picks event, CIBA hosted 26 Canadian Independent Publishers, each presenting their lead title for the Spring.
You'll learn both the why and the how from publishers–why they predict these books will be talked about and how you can best put them in customers' hands.
Not a CIBA member? Join now to access a range of benefits, including access to live events, recordings, and other business resources. |
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Supplier Relations Report
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Thank you to all booksellers who completed the 2025 Supplier Relations Survey! Your responses provide essential insights that help CIBA’s Supplier Relations Committee advocate on your behalf.
The 2025 Survey Report is now available in the Member Portal. This year’s report is more comprehensive than ever, featuring a full breakdown of bookseller responses and individual reports for eight major distributors—key information that will shape our upcoming meetings with vendors.
Please note: This report is for Bookseller Member & Provisional Member use only and should not be shared with publishers or distributors in its full form. Individual reports for suppliers are being prepared and distributed now.
CIBA’s Supplier Relations Committee invests significant time preparing for vendor meetings and working on initiatives that benefit booksellers, such as strict on-sale dates and Bookmanager tracking options. If you have suggestions for issues you'd like them to address, reach out at supplierrelations@cibabooks.ca.
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"Your Summer is Booked" Campaign
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Get ready for “Your Summer Is Booked”, a national marketing campaign from CIBA/IndieBookstores.ca & Penguin Random House Canada. This initiative highlights paperbacks as the ultimate summer reading companions while driving customers to indie bookstores with a special contest.
What’s in it for you?
- Extra +4% discount on select PRHC paperback titles
- An in-store promo kit from PRHC, including signage and bookmarks with contest details
- A digital asset toolkit for online promotion (available in late June)
- Increased customer traffic as readers shop for their summer reads
- A national contest to engage book lovers—customers who purchase eligible PRHC paperbacks between July 1 – August 31 can enter to win a year of paperbacks from PRHC.
Key Details
- Sales period: March 1 – June 15
- Campaign period: July 1 – August 31
- Use promo code RHP044 and reason code EE1 to receive the discount (no minimum order, not valid for reorders).
- Customers enter the contest by submitting proof of purchase via IndieBookstores.ca.
Check out the 25 eligible titles and place your order today through your regular sales channels! A public-facing campaign page will go live in late June on IndieBookstores.ca.
Questions? Contact your PRHC rep! |
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In our ongoing efforts to build relationships with our partners in French Canadian book publishing, we are pleased to share a new initiative from the Regroupement des éditeurs franco-canadiens (REFC). In collaboration with Les Libraires, REFC has launched a special initiative to promote the richness of Franco-Canadian literary voices.
Booksellers will receive a thematic booklet highlighting key works from Franco-Canadian authors, from B.C. to Nova Scotia, featuring interviews with Didier Leclair, J. R. Léveillé, Johanne Parent, Marie-France Comeau, André-Carl Vachon, Charles Bender, and Xénia. This collection showcases a diverse range of fiction, poetry, essays, and children’s literature, celebrating the cultural vitality of French Canada and Indigenous communities.
This initiative, designed to support booksellers, libraries, and schools, was made possible through collaboration between REFC, Les Libraires, & CIBA, with support from Ontario Créatif, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Government of Canada, and the Fédération culturelle canadienne française (FCCF).
For more details on this initiative, visit Les Libraires or contact your REFC representative. |
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CIBA Team Update
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Some exciting news to share! Kayla Calder is taking a short leave from CIBA to welcome a new addition to her family! Since joining CIBA in 2021, Kayla has been instrumental in growing our marketing and communications efforts, from engaging campaigns to insightful member communications. We’re thrilled for her and wish her all the best in this new chapter.
While Kayla is on leave, we’re delighted to welcome Karine Picard as Interim Marketing and Communications Lead. Karine brings over a decade of experience in the not-for-profit sector, with expertise in community engagement, multi-channel marketing campaigns, and strategic partnerships. She has a passion for fostering community connections and driving meaningful engagement—qualities that align perfectly with CIBA’s mission. Karine will oversee all public-facing campaigns, member communications, and other marketing initiatives. She can be reached at marketing@cibabooks.ca.
We appreciate our members’ and partners’ patience and understanding as our team navigates this transition. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Laura Carter.
Please join us in congratulating Kayla and warmly welcoming Karine to CIBA! |
Notable Public Dates for April – June
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To help members plan their marketing activities, CIBA manages a living calendar that features key dates like public holidays, themed days/weeks/months, awards announcements, and more. This resource is accessible as a list-by-date and as a traditional calendar.
We also create an easy-to-read printable resource for the coming quarter. Members can access the April – June resource and the full calendar here.
We will continue to add to the calendar as information becomes available. If you have any questions or wish to add a key date that may be of interest to all members, please email marketing@cibabooks.ca. |
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This message was sent to you by the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe at any time P.O. Box 36099, Halifax NS B3J 3S9 {Organization_URL} |
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