2014 Charleston Library Conference

Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) comprise a major English language book publishing region. But to North American librarians, ANZ frequently seems disconnected from the book trade they know, as if these books came from the other end of the world. Which, of course, they do. But geography is only one of the reasons these books can be difficult for librarians in North America to cover. In this program, three librarians and vendors who know the Australian book trade will address the many questions North American librarians often raise about ANZ books. How many books of academic interest are published in Australia and New Zealand? How much do they cost? When must they be ordered in Australia? How many are co-published in North America or the UK? How long does it take to get them? How can librarians find about them? Which subject areas are the strongest? How many ebooks are available?
In a globalized world, academic librarians need to know all they can about pertinent books, no matter where they are published—since their patrons do. This program will provide basic information about book publishing in Australia and New Zealand, with a focus on collection development and acquisitions work in North American academic libraries.