No Rest for the BISG: Book Industry Study Group’s annual meeting highlights the achievements of a busy year.
If anyone has doubts about the Book Industry Study Group’s (BISG) influence and impact on the book-publishing industry, sitting in on the organization’s annual meeting Sept. 12, at the Yale Club of New York in New York City, would have likely changed their mind.
In the past year alone, the organization published five publications (including three new publications) and launched two new certification programs, among other efforts to fulfill its mission of “creating a more informed, empowered and efficient book industry.”
“This fiscal year was another very successful and productive year for the BISG,” said Dominique Raccah, BISG co-chair and publisher/CEO of independent publisher Sourcebooks, as she welcomed the 145 BISG members in the audience.
“Our message has never been more relevant than in tough times, and tough times are on us now,” said BISG Executive Director Michael Healy.
Healy discussed BISG’s recent activities in-depth, highlighting the publications BISG published this year:
•“Book Industry Trends”: BISG’s annual report provides detailed estimates on book sales and publishing revenue, as well as financial projections for the years ahead. An advisory group was established this year to conduct a review of the report’s methodology, and significant changes will be made to the 2009 report.
•“BISAC Subject Headings”: Published in Oct. 2007 (with a 2008 edition scheduled for publication in the next month) to set a standard that can be used throughout the supply chain to categorize books based on topical content and determine where the work is shelved in a retail store, among other uses.
•“The Identification of Digital Book Content”: Published for the first time in January, to initiate a discussion of issues relating to e-books and how e-book content should be identified in the supply chain to support discovery (search), sales and reporting, and to encourage the development of standards in this area.
