News Release

2001-16

New Books Service to be launched at BookExpo Canada

Ottawa, June 21, 2001 - Roch Carrier, National Librarian of Canada, will host the launch of the Library's New Books Service on Monday, June 25, 2001. The launch will take place at 10:30 a.m. in the National Library of Canada's booth at BookExpo Canada in Toronto.

Working in partnership with Canadian publishers, the National Library of Canada has designed an innovative electronic showcase for new Canadian titles. Through the New Books Service of the National Library of Canada, publishers, booksellers, librarians and the reading public are invited to browse a new digital collection of forthcoming print and electronic releases. This searchable, bilingual Web site can be found at www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/newbooks/ and www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/newbooks/.

The new service is an enhancement to the Library's Cataloguing in Publication (CIP) program. CIP enables the cataloguing of books before they are published, and facilitates the prompt distribution of this cataloguing information to booksellers and libraries. The New Books Web page will feature complete CIP data, along with elements such as book cover art, table of contents, sample text, information about the author and illustrator, as well as links to information on how to purchase the title - one single window through which book-loving Canadians can preview the latest releases from many publishers. Reviews and information about awards and author readings will be added at the post-publication stage.

According to Roch Carrier, "Our New Books Service forms a key component of the NLC's overall commitment to the Government On-Line (GOL) initiative which stipulates that the services of the Federal Government should be delivered on-line by 2004." He notes as well that this initiative is complementary to the Department of Canadian Heritage program "Bringing Authors to Readers in a Digital Age: Transitions in the Canadian Book Industry."

The National Library of Canada, located at 395 Wellington Street in Ottawa, is home to Canada's published heritage. The National Library's main role is to acquire, preserve, promote and make accessible the most comprehensive collection of Canadiana for ALL Canadians, now and in the years to come.

For more information about the New Books Service, contact: