Association des libraires du Québec
The project
175 people from Québec’s book industry, 17 tables, one day to plan for the next generation.
- Design a working day for the whole book chain, from author to library.
- Surface action tracks doable within 24 to 36 months, usable in the 2026 election cycle and in each association’s strategic planning.
- Deliver a synthesis the same day, then a poster with seven tracks.
For the future of the book world
The 18th Rencontres interprofessionnelles du secteur du livre asked one question: how does the book world make sure it has a future? On April 29, 2026, the Association des libraires du Québec brought booksellers, publishers, distributors, authors and librarians to the Théâtre Paradoxe in Montréal. The theme, Relève : pour la suite du monde du livre: the people entering the trade, the readers who renew it, and the structures that have to change to stay alive.
The goal was concrete: action tracks doable within 24 to 36 months. The Rencontres have run every year since 2009, and the room held the whole chain, from author to library. A room full of people who read for a living: every sticky note came back proofread.
How we did it
- Open framing. Nobody imposed the issues. Each table named its own findings, irritants and priorities, so the day started from real work.
- Part 1: a portrait of the present. Three findings, three irritants and two or three priorities per table, in 75 minutes.
- Part 2: new ideas, then a scenario. Each table narrowed its material into one main action track: what, by whom, how, and by when.
- A synthesis the same day. Every table’s output was gathered, and the convergences went back to the whole room in the closing plenary.
What came out of the day
The next generation doesn’t only depend on recruiting. It depends on the training, working and transfer conditions that let people commit to the sector for the long run. Seven tracks, each with the proposal that came out of the workshops (translated from French):
- Make training and knowledge transfer a permanent infrastructure (the strongest convergence). Proposal: create and test a structured mentoring network to support newcomers and pass on know-how.
- Improve the conditions that let newcomers stay. Proposal: study the weight of commercial rent and propose a tax measure to support independent bookstores.
- Professionalize and better recognize the trades. Proposal: draft a professional standard for sales representatives in distribution, with training and a qualification path.
- Preserve human creation and expertise. Proposal: study a label that identifies books made by humans.
- Break silos and strengthen collaboration. Proposal: form a committee across book trades to draft shared recommendations on responsible use of AI.
- Make reading and mediation shared priorities. Proposal: develop a travelling literary caravan that brings books into schools.
- Adapt economic and public structures. Proposal: study support for business takeovers and protection against debt when book businesses change hands.
The result
One day, 17 tables, and seven action tracks the whole book industry can work on over the next 24 to 36 months. Plus a synthesis poster that fits on a wall, so the day doesn’t end up in a binder. That’s how we do facilitation: the room produces, we structure, and everyone leaves with something they can use.
The team. Workshop design, facilitation and synthesis poster: Jean-Sébastien Daigle, &friends. Organizer: Association des libraires du Québec.