The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

28 Ontario School Library Association Imported books are promoted heavily in the wholesale market, and offer an economical solution to schools that are stretched in terms of both time and money. another factor is that books purchased for school collections must support teachers' delivery of curriculum, and in some subject areas, canadian titles are under-represented. and with fewer and fewer schools having a full-time librarian on staff, the skills, expertise and time required to manage a collection effectively are no longer available. canadian publishers have few opportunities to meet face-to-face with teacher-librarians, and recognize the constraints of managing collections to ensure that a broad selection of relevant, quality materials are available to students. Members of the association of canadian Publishers (acP), which represents canadian- owned and -controlled book publishing houses, have sought innovative ways to effectively provide the right mix of information about forthcoming titles to these key customers. knowing that teacher-librarians' time is precious, and the volume of information they receive from publishers and other vendors high, in 2011 the acP set out to develop a program that would highlight the best new canadian books, provide teacher- librarians with the information required to make effective use of their budget, and allow us to keep in touch with frontline customers throughout the year. enter Top grade. Now in its third year, Top grade (www.publishers.ca/ Topgrade) is a sampling and promotion program devoted to showcasing the latest canadian-authored books suitable for school library and classroom collections. close to 20 publishers from across the country participate in two mailings each year, which ensures a …continued from page 27 rich and diverse selection each season. In the Top grade boxes, recipients find review copies, catalogues, teacher guides, and other promotional materials -- bookmarks, posters, buttons, and other goodies that are often distributed at trade shows -- which have earned the program the nickname of "super conference in a box." We send boxes to 100 recipients who are primarily consultants or coordinators at the board level. The goal of the program is to inform decision makers about new canadian books, demonstrate how they link to curriculum, and generate excitement around canadian authors. There is no charge to recipients, and no obligation to purchase the books that are included in Top grade mailings. The samples are recipients' to keep, and those that are interested in adding featured books to their collections are encouraged to place orders through their wholesaler or retailer of choice. We encourage recipients to circulate the books and materials to their colleagues, and are always excited to learn about the creative ways librarians do this. some set up displays in the staff room, library, or during a board PD day or in-service. others circulate the books via inter-school courier, so that staff at a variety of schools can sample Top grade's offerings. one consultant started a Top grade book club, and assigned each of the books to a different teacher-librarian or technician in her board. after reading the books, librarians shared mini- reviews by email. Yet another asked students to preview the samples, and share their reactions to the books. Needless to say, the ways in which books are shared is impressive, and we are delighted to know that Top grade is sparking discussion about canadian books in schools and boards across the country. An initiative of the Association of Canadian Publishers www.publishers.ca/topgrade New Sele ction s Fo r K-8 , SPR ING 2013 TingL_21.1.indd 28 13-08-08 2:50 PM