OTTAWA– More than 600 public libraries across Canada, are inviting readers from St John’s to Nanaimo to Whitehorse to start the new year by reading together the “exquisite” and celebrated novel Vi in the first national, bilingual (English and French) digital book club. One eRead Canada is a month-long simultaneous eRead coordinated by Canadian Urban Libraries Council (CULC) from January 1 to 31, 2021. More than 85% of all public libraries in Canada will offer free, unlimited access to Vi by Kim Thúy, in eBook and eAudiobook formats across different platforms. The book, published in French in 2016 and its English translation in 2018, will be available in both languages – without holds or waitlists – with nothing but a library card.
Mary Chevreau, Chair of the Canadian Urban Libraries Council, noted that access to eBooks is more critical than ever since the pandemic has curtailed many people’s ability to acquire print books and afford digital versions of the books they want to read. “Libraries are struggling to meet public demand for eBooks due to restrictive licensing and disproportionately high prices from major multinational publishers. These barriers make it difficult for Canadians to support and access titles of Canadian authors published through multinational publishers,” said Chevreau. “People depend on public libraries to stay informed and inspired. Libraries support a vibrant democracy, a strong economy, and thriving communities by ensuring everyone, no matter their income, can access ideas, learning resources and creative works that will help them grow,” Mary stated.
In addition to being a bilingual, cross-country simultaneous reading party, One eRead Canada underlines CULC’s ongoing campaign, eContent for Libraries. Libraries want to work with the big publishers to establish fair pricing models that can benefit everyone and ensure equitable access to digital content such as eBooks and eAudiobooks. Collaborative library initiatives like One eRead Canada introduce readers and listeners to new books and authors, positively impacting sales of digital content – to the benefit of publishers, authors, and readers.
The selection for our first bilingual book club is Vi by Kim Thúy, published by Libre Expression in French and Penguin Random House Canada in English. This masterful book about the lives and experiences of Vietnamese refugees in Canada was a finalist for the 2019 Governor General’s Literary Award in translation and longlisted for the 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize. The author will participate in a live Q&A on Facebook on January 19 (in English) and January 20 (in French) at 7 pm, and discuss some of the many themes that arise from this exquisitely moving work.
The participating libraries are pleased to note the collaboration and support of CBC / Radio-Canada in the promotion and outreach regarding this national bilingual eReading initiative.