Press Release: Book Industry Study Group Expands 2017 Programming

NEW YORK — November 28, 2016 — The Book Industry Study Group (BISG) will significantly expand its programming in 2017. A plan approved by the organization’s Board of Directors last week features two dozen webinars, six topic-driven programs and four events that will take place in 2017.

“The new schedule will help us showcase the significant work our committees and working groups have been doing,” said BISG executive director Brian O’Leary. “The first webinar each month will explain what our committees are working on, why it matters and how members can join in to shape their work. We’ll typically use the second webinar each month to explain product updates and highlight new releases that benefit our membership and the industry.”

In 2017, topic-driven programs will feature senior-level discussions of issues that include: the implications of an announced plan to combine IDPF and the w3c; and the business case for ONIX 3.0 in the U.S. market. O’Leary noted, “These programs will be offered without charge to members and at a reasonable cost to non-members when space is available. These forums will foster a conversation about where the industry is headed and how our committees and working groups can help pave the way.”

The four events approved by the Board include BISG’s signature in-person annual, Making Information Pay, scheduled to take place in New York on April 21, 2017. “This year, we will be looking at ‘The Evolution of Delivery’, with case studies drawn from education, STM and trade publishing,” O’Leary explained. Other events include a planned one-day workshop in June on ‘The Accessibility Imperative’, and the return of Making Information Pay – Higher Education, scheduled for November 9, 2017.

BISG Board chair Maureen McMahon, CEO of Kaplan Publishing, said that the expanded programming is a natural next step for the organization. “Earlier this year the Board developed and approved a refined statement of its mission, objectives and strategies. We have renewed our focus on providing members with information, standards and research that help them do their jobs more effectively. Engaging broadly with our membership and the industry is the right thing to do in 2017.”

The updated strategy and the plan for 2017 will be discussed in a webinar scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern Time on December 6. The webinar is offered without charge to both members and non-members.

About BISG
The Book Industry Study Group, Inc. is the industry’s leading trade association for information, standards and research. BISG creates the connections and conversations that solve common problems, advance new ideas and more profitably bring published content to readers. For over 40 years, BISG has provided a forum for industry professionals to collaboratively address common issues and concerns. Its members include publishers, manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, librarians, and others engaged in the business of print and electronic media.