Life on MaRS

This week I was the lucky gal who got to attend BookNet Canada’s Technology Forum 2013 where professionals from  the Canadian publishing industry gathered under one roof to learn more about where publishing is headed and how to thrive in this new, constantly evolving industry. And oh what a roof!  In my triptych above you can see Toronto’s MaRS Discovery District where the conference was held with its historic facade hiding a futuristic architectural wonder within. Today I would like to tell you a bit about MaRS, what I learned at the conference in a nutshell, and uncover a few interesting ideas that illustrate the innovations that are occurring in publishing as a result of the shift from print to digital.

Established in Toronto in 2000, MaRS (which stands for Medical and Related Sciences) is a space where science, technology and social entrepreneurship meet to generate new, innovative ideas that help build global enterprises intended to contribute to Canada’s economic and social development. Put simply, it is a hub for innovation. MaRS provides resources such as people, programs, facilities, funding and networks to ensure such innovation takes place. Once you walk inside this remarkable building you can certainly see how this can happen!  The building itself has an impressive facade and pedigree. Formerly the College Wing of Toronto General Hospital, The Heritage Building was home to many medical breakthroughs including insulin, the artificial kidney and pacemaker! A perfect foundation on which to build the next generation in Canadian innovation. Once inside the walls of this historic building your eyes are taken immediately skyward to a soaring, architecturally stunning, glass cathedral ceiling that whisks you forward to the future. Unexpected!  It is here where our publishing Tech Forum was held. I cannot think of a more perfect location, as the historic facade housing a new, fresh, technology-forward core closely mirrors how our industry is evolving: a traditional cover housing a wealth of exciting innovation within!

The big ideas coming out of Tech Forum were not only thought-provoking and instructional but also transformational. We were treated to a wide range of high-profile industry thought leaders whose seemingly disparate messages coalesced into a positive message of hope for an industry struggling for relevance in a rapidly evolving milieu of technological change. Robert Levine, former editor of Billboard magazine and author of the recent book Free Ride, reminded publishers that, unlike the fate of record labels, we need to understand the value that books and carefully curated content brings to its readers and celebrate it. Brian O’Leary, Publishing Consultant and Principal of Magellan Media Partners, built on Levine’s idea of the value proposition for publishers. He asserts that we need to stop focusing on “the container” (format) and focus instead on “the context” or content and ensure it is worth buying. His chapter called “Context, Not Container” in Book: A Futurist’s Manifesto is definitely worth a read! O’Leary then took the idea of publisher as expert content curator further by insisting that publishers leverage technology to bring place, preference and purpose together in a community of readers to again provide value and relevance to its customers. Robert Wheaton, Vice President of Strategic Digital Business Development at Random House Canada brought this idea of publisher as community full circle in his session on “Future-Proofing Publishing: Lightweight Technologies Publishers Should Be Watching Right Now.” Wheaton stresses that industry conversations must now go beyond piracy, pricing and digital rights management to how publishers can leverage technologies such as open API’s, newsstand apps, content management systems and real-time analytic tools to provide its audiences with better content in thoughtfully curated packages. He not only provided examples such as Byliner and Marco Arment’s The Magazine, but also showed us under the hood of Random House’s new on-line magazine called Hazlitt.

Named after 19th century critic and journalist William Hazlitt, Hazlitt houses new, constantly changing editorial content written by the best of the best, not only from Random House’s stable of authors but from authors across Canada. In learning more about Hazlitt, I stumbled upon a recent article by Patricia Pearson called “The Trouble With How We Think About Bullying” on journalist Emily Bazelon’s book “Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy.” Not only is the article short, searing and powerful, it provides educators with a new tool to better understand and deal with one of our most vexing issues in schools, bullying. The article is perfect launching pad to further content outside of Hazlitt and therefore acts as a recommendation engine for interesting reading should you wish to dig deeper. A brilliant example of a publisher harnessing technology to focus on what publishers do best, curate content worth reading!

I could not end this post on Canadian publishing industry innovation without mentioning Kobo’s Chief Content Officer’s Michael Tamblyn’s inspiring session. Michael is known for sharing actionable reading statistics and e-reading metrics but on this day, he decided to share some personal stories on how e-reading devices have adapted to bring the joy of reading to a wider audience. He spoke of how an e-reader can become a virtual library for elderly readers who make the move from their homes to assisted living facilities where cherished libraries are left behind for a life where a house shrinks to a single small room. These devices can also increase font sizes to support aging eyes. He also highlighted a new font that can now support dyslexic readers at the touch of a button. For my teacher-readers out there, check out this font supported on Kobo reading devices here.

As you can see, much has and is changing within the walls of Canadian publishing houses. Like the traditional facade of the MaRS Discovery District Heritage Building, it often takes walking inside to be welcomed by a wave of innovation that holds the promise of the future. Don’t judge us by our cover! Rather, join us on this ride of a life time. You will not be disappointed!