(Halifax) – The Atlantic Publishers Marketing Association (APMA) will be holding a news conference at Province House on Monday, April 16 to present a proposal which would enable teachers to buy classroom books in local bookstores.
The proposal is in response to a recommendation in the Avis Glaze Report that the Department of Education and Early Childhood Education look at a new model for buying and distributing books to schools across the province.
Dr. Glaze recommended teachers and principals have more freedom to use provincial funds to purchase needed classroom materials. She proposed that the education department continue its role in reviewing and approving books for school use, but was silent on how teachers and curriculum consultants would buy books in the future.
Nova Scotia publishers believe their innovative approach would give teachers better access to new, appealing books that they haven’t been able to buy up to now. It could also ensure that, for the first time, locally-written and published books that fit curriculum needs would make it into classrooms.
WHERE: Province House
WHEN: Monday, April 16, 10:30 am
WHO: Jim Lorimer, Formac Publishing; Errol Sharpe, Fernwood Publishing; Sylvia Gunnery, award-winning Nova Scotia author of many books for younger children and teens; Michael Hamm, BookMark Halifax bookstore, which opened its doors in 1989.
ATTENTION ASSIGNMENT/PHOTO EDITORS: The publishers will have a display of the types of books that would be available under the proposed model, and colour catalogues with more details about these books.
For information: John McCracken, (902) 220-8056 (m)
