The Booksellers Association of the U.K. & Ireland has published the findings of its annual Membership Workforce Survey, which is part of what the association calls its "ongoing and long-term commitment to make bookselling, and the wider book, media and creative industries, more inclusive and representative of all demographics and communities." The key findings of the survey are:
- 68% of respondents identified as female (vs. 51% of the population*), down from 71% in 2022
- 8% of respondents' gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth (vs. 1% of the population*), up from 7% in 2022
- 8% of respondents identified as being from ethnic minority groups (excluding white minorities) (vs. 18% of the population*), up from 7% in 2022
- 28% of respondents identified as having a disability or long-term health condition (vs. 18% of the population*)
- 24% of respondents have a neurodiverse condition (vs. 15% of the population [ACAS]), up from 23% in 2022
- 32% are currently experiencing mental health problems (vs. one in six in the population [Mind])
- 64% of respondents had professional backgrounds (vs. 37% of the population [Social Mobility Commission]), up from 59% in 2022
- 13% of respondents attended an independent or fee-paying school (vs 7% of the population [Sutton Trust and Social Mobility Commission])
- 85% of respondents agreed/strongly agreed that they feel included, respected (80%), like they belong (83%), and can be their authentic selves (81%) at work
- 80% of respondents agreed/strongly agreed that their organization values and is committed to diversity and inclusion and 72% said it is making progress addressing diversity and inclusion
- 58% of respondents agreed/strongly agreed that the culture in the bookselling industry is inclusive, up from 52% in 2022
*All comparison population figures unless otherwise stated refer to the England & Wales 2021 census.
BA managing director Meryl Halls said: "Now in its second year, the BA's Membership Workforce Survey is essential in our journey towards diversifying bookselling and attracting and representing booksellers from all demographics and communities. Once again run in partnership with EA Inclusion, this information will help us assess and approach issues around barriers of access and representation, so that careers in bookselling are open to people of the widest possible range of backgrounds as well as ensuring booksellers already in the industry can thrive. From this year's statistics, we can continue to take pride that bookselling remains a de facto safe space for many demographics, from LGBTQ booksellers, to those with neurodiverse conditions or disabilities, long-term health or mental health conditions. It is positive to see that the overall bookselling industry culture is perceived by even more booksellers as an inclusive sector, but we must make better steps in improving the representation of booksellers from minority groups and continue to make progress on our commitments to diversity and inclusion."
Overall, 275 booksellers from 158 bookshops took part in the survey. The survey took place between October 2023 and early January 2024.
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Bookshops and Book Procurement, the fourth RISE Bookselling Industry Insights paper, has been published. RISE Bookselling is a three-year EU-cofunded project run by the European & International Booksellers Federation aimed at increasing the capacity and resilience of the European bookselling sector.
In its latest research paper, RISE examines a complex and worrying topic for bookshops across Europe: the increasing difficulty and lack of chances for smaller bookshops to participate in the supply of books to public schools and libraries.
The paper looks into three countries as case studies--Ireland, Germany and Finland--assessing the state of play of bookshops' involvement in book procurement to public schools and libraries. In doing so, it identifies common challenges in these countries (e.g., the increasingly large size of tenders, the prioritization of competitive price over other criteria, the expectation to supply ancillary services, etc.), and put forward several calls to action to help ensure a more balanced and inclusive approach to book procurement for bookshops of all sizes and in all locations.
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Bookseller dog: Posted on Instagram by Red Lion Books in Colchester, England: "Meet Connie! The Red Lion Bookshop Dog!" --Robert Gray