Libraries and public schools in Quebec will not be able to acquire Ginette Reno’s autobiography, entitled Ginettesince it will be sold outside bookstores, has learned The Press.
Ginette Reno’s decision, associated with producer and businessman Nicolas Lemieux, to sell her autobiography exclusively online and in Jean Coutu pharmacies will mean that the book may not end up on the shelves of the libraries of the province.
Indeed, the Act respecting the development of Québec businesses in the book industry obliges institutional buyers – libraries and public schools among others – to buy all their books “in at least three approved bookstores” in their administrative region.
Any acquisition of books on behalf of a government department, one of its agencies or a representative of the State must, to be valid, be made from a bookseller who holds a license issued in under this law. […]
Article 3 of the Act respecting the development of Québec businesses in the book industry
For example, the City of Longueuil must acquire the books it wants for its public libraries from at least three accredited bookstores in Montérégie.
“For the moment, if we want to respect the law, our libraries will not be able to proceed with the acquisition of Ginette Reno’s book”, confirmed Thursday Ève Lagacé, director general of the Association of public libraries of Quebec.
Non-bookstore sales
In an interview given to The Press published on March 17, Nicolas Lemieux indicated that booksellers could purchase M’s book.me Reno via its transactional site Oziko, but on its terms, notably with a 15% discount – instead of the 40% normally granted to retailers.
PHOTO CATHERINE LEFEBVRE, ARCHIVES SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Nicolas Lemieux
The president of the Association des libraires du Québec, Éric Simard, also a bookseller at the Librairie du Square, had indicated in this article that he would not buy the book under these conditions and that he would not encourage his fellow booksellers to acquire it. Renaud-Bray had had the same answer.
Even if some bookstores were to acquire it, the spirit of the law would not be respected. The goal is obviously to protect small bookstores in all regions of Quebec and to have a diversity of books throughout our library network.
Ève Lagacé, Executive Director of the Association of Public Libraries of Quebec
However, there is an “exemption procedure” from the law, says Ève Lagacé, but “the interpretation of this article is not clear, this case is very specific”. “We are currently awaiting a legal opinion from the Ministry of Culture and Communications,” she said.
The 11 exemptions cited in Article 25 of the Act respecting the development of Québec businesses in the book industry mainly concern old and rare books whose distribution has ceased, reprints and publications of works by specialized publishing houses, books other than those in English or French, audiovisual documents, etc.
Once the Quebec Public Libraries Association has ruled on the matter, it will publish a notice intended for all of its members.
Nicolas Lemieux had justified his decision to bypass the book chain – publisher, distributor, bookseller – by arguing that there were too many players in the chain, and that the current model had become “archaic”.
“At the end of the day, there’s almost never anything left for the author,” he told us. We talk about 10%, but sometimes it’s even less. I manage and produce artists, so my role is to help them make more money. »
Ginette Reno, who self-published the book written by songwriter Lambert – which will be launched on April 6 – agreed with Mr. Lemieux to pay him a percentage of sales for distribution and marketing.