DECEMBER 2015 BIC BREAKFAST

The Practical Application of Meaningful Metadata

Why accurate and timely metadata is now – more than ever – critical  to your business, the steps you can take to achieve it, and the potential consequences if you don’t.

Tuesday 1st December 2015, 9am

Sponsored by:  

Providing and maintaining good quality metadata should no longer be seen as an optional extra by the book industry. It is an essential requirement and can make a big difference to the success of a title. The provision of metadata can also have an impact on all organisations interacting with it: whether they are publishers, distributors, aggregators, printers, retailers or end-customers, etc. Timely and good quality metadata is undoubtedly the key tool for aiding discoverability and increased discoverability has been shown to have a positive effect on sales.

The three expert speakers for December’s BIC Breakfast – which took place on Tuesday 1st December 2015 – explored how best to ensure that your organisation’s metadata is as targeted and dynamic as possible in order to gain the best possible results for both internal and external use, throughout the book industry. They outlined which fields good metadata should include, explained how to optimise your metadata to facilitate discoverability, illustrated the ways in which good metadata affects your organisation, and discussed the negative consequences that bad metadata can have within the book supply chain.

The host was: Alaina-Marie Bassett, Business Manager, BIC

Speakers at this event included: Toby Gill, Lead Software Developer, Virtusales Publishing Solutions; George Walkley, Head of Digital, Hachette; Ruth Jones, Director of Publisher Business Development, Ingram Content Group; and Lindsey Mooney, Content Lead – UK & Ireland, Kobo.

BIC Breakfast Slides – The Practical Application of Meaningful Metadata

OCTOBER 2015 BIC BREAKFAST 

Embracing the Library Communication Framework (LCF) 

Thursday 22nd October 2015, 9am

The Library Communication Framework (LCF) is set to transform how library suppliers share information with each other in the future, building on the work that the SIP2 protocol has delivered in the past. LCF will allow vendors to share not only basic transactional information (like SIP2), but additionally better manage libraries’ users and inventory. For libraries looking to upgrade any of their systems in 2016 onwards, LCF should form part of your understanding and be a mandatory part of your specification or tender requirements.

As LCF will be adopted in the UK ahead of any other country, this represents a significant opportunity for UK libraries and their vendors to show how agile and forward thinking the library community truly is.

October’s BIC Breakfast explored LCF in its entirety, discussing its origins, the benefits and challenges of its usage and what will come next. A mix of RFID / LMS vendors joined BIC to learn about what LCF is and how it can positively affect libraries from 2016 and beyond.

BIC Breakfast Slides – Embracing Library Communication Framework (LCF)

Speakers at this event  included: Alaina-Marie Bassett, BIC; Michael Fortune, Consultant; Anthony Whitford, Capita; and Catherine Cooke, Westminster Libraries.

SEPTEMBER 2015 BIC BREAKFAST 

Migrating to ONIX 3.0: An Update on Progress, Benefits & Challenges

Tuesday 22nd September 2015, 9am

Kindly sponsored by: 

Wednesday 31st December 2014 was the sunset date for ONIX 2.1. Many organisations have made the transition to ONIX 3.0, while others are still limited to the legacy version.

Last year, BIC held 3 sold-out BIC Breakfasts on migrating from ONIX 2.1 to 3.0 and in July 2015, half way through 2015, this topic was revisited to review the book industry’s progress so far. September’s BIC Breakfast, due to popular demand, was a repeat of this popular event!

September’s BIC Breakfast: 

  • Offered an introduction to the migration process
  • Outlined the benefits and challenges of updating from ONIX 2.1 to 3.0
  • Reported on the level of ONIX 3.0 adoption worldwide. 

The session included a discussion of the development process from the perspective of data producers and data consumers, via:

  • A case study from Ashgate Publishing who recently implemented to ONIX 3.0
  • An insight into the challenges of developing a system for ONIX 3.0 use, provided by a data aggregator, Bowker

BIC Breakfast Slides – Migrating to ONIX 3.0

Speakers at this event included: Karina Luke, BIC; Jack Tipping, Bowker; Alex Ingram, EDItEUR; and Jo Burges, Ashgate Publishing Group.

AUGUST 2015 BIC BREAKFAST 

ISNI: Identifying the Uses & Benefits of Global Recognition

Thursday 20th August 2015, 9am

Kindly sponsored by:

In the age of self-publishing, where myriad public identities are coming to the fore, the challenge for the book industry – and many other industries – to identify creators and their related works is becoming ever more convoluted. Who is to say whether Michele Smith the author is in fact one and the same as Michele Smith the musician?

That’s where the ISNI (International Standard Name Identifier) comes in. Formulated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISNI is the certified global standard number for identifying contributors to creative works and those active in their distribution, including writers, researchers, publishers, aggregators and many more.

August’s BIC Breakfast explored ISNIs, their uses and the benefits they provide within multiple creative industries. The Breakfast began with an introduction to the topic by Andrew MacEwan (British Library & ISNI Board member), followed by a discussion about the uses and benefits of ISNI to the Copyright Hub by Caroline Boyd and Dominic Young. Finally, Raymond Drewry (EIDR) put ISNI use into context, providing attendees with an insight into the uses of ISNI within the entertainment industry.

Speakers at this event included: Alaina-Marie Bassett, BIC; Andrew MacEwan, British Library; Caroline Boyd & Dominic Young, Copyright Hub; and Raymond Drewry, Entertainment Identifier Registry (EIDR).

JULY 2015 BIC BREAKFAST 

Migrating to ONIX 3.0: An Update on Progress, Benefits & Challenges

Tuesday 21st July 2015, 9am

Kindly sponsored by:

Wednesday 31st December 2014 was the sunset date for ONIX 2.1. Many organisations have made the transition to ONIX 3.0, while others are still limited to the legacy version.

Last year, BIC held 3 sold-out BIC Breakfasts on migrating from ONIX 2.1 to 3.0 and in July, half way through 2015, this topic was revisited to review the book industry’s progress so far.

July’s BIC Breakfast: 

  • Offered an introduction to the migration process
  • Outlined the benefits and challenges of updating from ONIX 2.1 to 3.0
  • Reported on the level of ONIX 3.0 adoption worldwide. 

The session included a discussion of the development process from the perspective of data producers and data consumers, via:

  • A case study from Ashgate Publishing who recently implemented to ONIX 3.0
  • An insight into the challenges of developing a system for ONIX 3.0 use, provided by a data aggregator, Bowker

BIC Breakfast Slides – Migrating to ONIX 3.0

Speakers at this event included: Alaina-Marie Bassett, BIC; Jack Tipping, Bowker; Graham Bell, EDItEUR; and Josephine Burges, Ashgate Publishing Group.

JUNE 2015 BIC BREAKFAST

Global Business Intelligence: How Effective Data Collection 
and Reporting of Sales, Rights and Royalties Can Benefit 
Your Organisation

Wednesday 24th June 2015, 9am

Kindly sponsored by:

How efficient is your publishing business? As the combination of sales channels and content formats becomes ever more complex, publishers are faced with the challenge of processing and making sense of increasingly diverse data.

In the fast-changing world of publishing, businesses need timely, accurate and complete management information to make good marketing and investment decisions, and the pressure on back-office functions to calculate and pay royalties promptly and accurately is growing exponentially.

June’s BIC Breakfast focused on the importance of having processes and systems that enable efficient and auditable collection and consolidation of data with appropriate reporting capabilities, to minimise the amount of time spent on collating information and to deliver the flexible and reliable management information that all successful businesses need.

BIC Breakfast Slides – Global Business Intelligence

Speakers at this event included: Alaina-Marie Bassett, BIC; Ian Singer, PKF Littlejohn LLP; Jack Tipping, Bowker; Michael Addison, Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd; and Graham Bell, EDItEUR.

MAY 2015 BIC BREAKFAST 

Global Licensing: Distributing Content Worldwide

Tuesday 19th May 2015, 9am

Kindly sponsored by:

Content providers all over the world have long recognised the value attached to licensing. In the book world, margins continue to be squeezed and it’s clear that maximising the rights to all titles across as many territories as possible remains the key to being profitable.

Simplicity, speed and transparency – especially in the digital world – are integral components in generating more business in any sector and this is especially evident when it comes to licensing. A strong technological solution is often the common driving force.

May’s BIC Breakfast discussed how best to protect your content, the ways in which technology is facilitating the distribution and licensing of works, and also the ways in which technology levelling the playing field for publishers large and small across both established and emerging territories.

BIC Breakfast Slides – Global Licensing: Distributing Content Worldwide

Speakers at this event included: Alaina-Marie Bassett, BIC; Tom Chalmers, IPR License; Emma House, The Publishers Association; and Christopher Smith, Intellectual Property Office.

APRIL 2015 BIC BREAKFAST 

Keywords in Metadata: Unlocking the Potential for Worldwide Discovery

Thursday 23rd April 2015, 9am

Kindly sponsored by:

 In today’s market, the discoverability of books online is almost certainly paramount to achieving success, yet the use of keywords is a relatively elusive and misunderstood practice. This BIC Breakfast addressed that void, detailing how to increase the likelihood of consumers finding a specific book on search engines and retailer websites, and therefore how to enhance the Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for your products. 

April’s BIC Breakfast, which took place on Thursday 23rd April 2015, provided guidance for both senders and receivers of ONIX feeds on how best to utilise keywords in their metadata, including the choice of keywords, the structuring of the metadata itself, and how to update keywords to reflect the most relevant information for the targeted audience. 

Speakers at this event will included: Alaina-Marie Bassett, BIC; Jack Tipping, Bowker; Azar Hussain, Faber & Faber; and Toby Gill, Virtusales Publishing Solutions.

MARCH 2015 BIC BREAKFAST 

Print On Demand: The Age of Permanent Availability

Tuesday 24th March 2015, 9am

Kindly sponsored by:

In the past two decades, the book industry has changed dramatically, not least in the area of book production and the way printed articles are stored and inventory managed. Print On Demand (POD) was born of, and has in turn influenced, this need for change; arguably the use of POD technologies, and the implementation of associated workflows and business models, may facilitate a reduction in storage costs, inventory costs and freight expenditure. Today we pose the question: is POD behaving as expected?

In March’s BIC Breakfast, which took place on Tuesday 24th March 2015, discussed POD and short run printing, investigating the ways in which POD, inkjet printing and offset printing differ from one another; and outlining the benefits and drawbacks of each. As part of an agnostic panel, our speakers – from printer, trade and academic backgrounds – discussed their experiences of POD. They also addressed: the current requirements placed on suppliers to continue to innovate this production method; the question of quality versus timeliness; and investigated how centralised POD is, or is not, as a revenue stream.

Speakers at this event included: Alaina-Marie Bassett, BIC; Jean Roberts, Printondemand-worldwide; Andy Cork, Printondemand-worldwide; Gareth Jarrett, Taylor & Francis Group; and Nancy Roberts, Cambridge University Press.

FEBRUARY 2015 BIC BREAKFAST 

The Agile Publisher: Principles for Innovation

Tuesday 24th February 2015, 9am

Kindly sponsored by:

One of the greatest challenges facing publishers in a disrupted, fast-changing world is that of innovation: it’s known to be necessary for survival, but so often it is expensive, risky and time-consuming. Publishers are constrained by their existing infrastructure and unsure which of the many opportunities to pursue, and they find it hard to translate ideas into testable products.

February’s BIC Breakfast introduced attendees to a model used extensively by software developers which has tremendous significance for all organisations seeking to meet the challenge of innovation: agile and lean techniques.

This BIC Breakfast, which took place on 24th February 2015, introduced attendees to the principles of agile project management and explored the ways in which agile principles can be applied within the book industry to encourage rapid, customer-focused innovation for organisations; with a particular emphasis on publishers.

The Breakfast began with a brief introduction to agile and lean techniques followed by a broader discussion of how these principles can help organisations to be more innovative in all areas of their business, not just in their use of technology.

Speakers at this event included: Alaina-Marie Bassett, BIC; David Montgomery, Publishing Technology; Alison Jones, Practical Inspiration Publishing; Stephanie Chamberlain, Magic Milestones Ltd.

JANUARY 2015 BIC BREAKFAST

Basic Metadata: Getting it right

Tuesday 20th January 2015, 9am

Kindly sponsored by:

Kicking off the year as we mean to go on, January’s BIC Breakfast focused on Basic Metadata: how to get it right and keep it right.

Metadata sounds boring to some, and intimidating to others. However, it is simple and crucial for the discoverability of print and eBooks. In a time where digital products and sales are taking over – it’s often one of the most underrated and overlooked areas of discussion. This BIC Breakfast addressed that void! It discussed the basic mandatory fields for metadata that every organisation should be supplying, and provided attendees with examples of what basic metadata should look like. 

Speakers at this event will included:  Alaina-Marie Bassett, BIC; Alex Murphy, Stison; Dunia Garcia-Ontiveros, The London Library; and Jack Tipping, Bowker.

OCTOBER 2014 BIC BREAKFAST 

EU VAT Changes to e-Services

Kindly sponsored by:

Taking place on Thursday 23rd October, the content of this session will relate to the question of the change in EU VAT regulations on e-services that is due to come into effect in January 2015, and the implications of these changes for supply chain stakeholders. We are delighted to have 2 authoritative representatives from HMRC attending this session as speakers.

As ever, this BIC Breakfast will be a great opportunity to share insights with fellow book industry professionals, while simultaneously being an informal setting to network and have a spot of breakfast.

Speakers at this event included: Andrew Webb, Project Leader for HMRC on this topic; Des Farndell, HMRC; Ian Singer, PKF Littlejohn; and Bob Jones, HMRC.

OCTOBER 2014 BIC BREAKFAST 

Migrating from ONIX 2 to 3

Kindly sponsored by:

Back for the third and final time, due to popular demand, this very popular BIC Breakfast took place again in Bowker’s lovely London office: 5th Floor, 3 Dorset Rise, London EC4Y 8EN and focused on the migration from ONIX 2 to 3. This re-run took place on Tuesday 14th October. Speakers at this event included: Karina Luke, BIC; Jack Tipping, Bowker; and Graham Bell, EDItEUR.

SEPTEMBER 2014 BIC BREAKFAST 

EU Timber Regulations (to include printed materials)

Kindly sponsored by:

This BIC Breakfast took place on Thursday 18th September at Le Pain Quotidien’s Borough Branch. The session focused on the changes in EU Timber Regulations, to include the 2015 extension that will affect printed materials. It also focused on the preparations organisations should be considering to put in place in order to stay ahead of the game, raising questions such as: How will your systems and processes cope? What are other industries already doing to address these changes? What impact will these changes have on your organisation? It provided attendees with a wonderful opportunity to talk directly to someone who has extensive experience working with the regs, who could offer real-life examples of how to prepare for the changes.

Speakers at this event will included: Karina Luke, BIC; Nick Sammons, Carnstone Partners LLP; and Michael Worrell, National Measurement Office.

AUGUST 2014 BIC BREAKFAST 

Migrating from ONIX 2 to 3

Kindly sponsored by:


Back due to popular demand! This very popular BIC Breakfast took place again in Bowker’s lovely London office: 5th Floor, 3 Dorset Rise, London EC4Y 8EN and focused on the migration from ONIX 2 to 3. This re-run took place on Wednesday 20th August. Speakers at this event included: Karina Luke, BIC; Jack Tipping, Bowker; and Graham Bell, EDItEUR.

JULY 2014 BIC BREAKFAST 

Migrating from ONIX 2 to 3

Kindly sponsored by:

On Thursday 17th July, this BIC Breakfast took place at Bowker’s London office: 5th Floor, 3 Dorset Rise, London EC4Y 8EN. It was an incredible turn out of over 25 people and focused on the migration from ONIX 2 to 3. Speakers at this event included: Karina Luke, BIC; Jack Tipping, Bowker; and Graham Bell, EDItEUR. 

SEPTEMBER 2013 BIC BREAKFAST 

The VAT Session

Kindly sponsored by:

This BIC Breakfast took place on Wednesday 18th September 2013. The content for this session related to the question of the change in EU VAT regulations on e-services that is due to come into effect in January 2015, and the implications of these changes for supply chain stakeholders. Speakers at the event included: John Walsh, Group Accountant, Oxford University Press; Gary Rodrigues, Executive VP of Sales, Impelsys; and Ian Singer, IT Partner, PKF Littlejohn.

JUNE 2013 BIC BREAKFAST 

The Physical Supply Chain Session



Kindly sponsored by:

Taking place on Monday 24th June 2013 at Le Pain Quotidien in Soho, June’s BIC Breakfast focused on the physical supply chain.

Read the speaker biographies here.

MAY 2013 BIC BREAKFAST 

The Data Session



Kindly sponsored by:

Hosted and sponsored by Bowker this session focused on Metadata Collaborations in the physical and digital supply chain. It took place on Thursday 16th May 2013.

Speaker information is available here.

APRIL 2013 BIC BREAKFAST 

The Digital Session



Kindly sponsored by:

This BIC Breakfast, which took place on 11th April 2013 at the charming Soho branch of Pain Quotidien in Wardour Street, had a Digital focus. Speakers at the event included:

Speakers at the event…

MARCH 2013 BIC BREAKFAST 

ONIX 3.0 vs ONIX 2.1


On Wednesday 27th March, our third BIC Breakfast tok place in the CILIP Building: 7 Ridgmount Street, London WC1E 7AE. This March BIC Breakfast looked comparatively at ONIX 3 and ONIX 2.1, discussing the reasons why organisations should consider changing to ONIX 3 and the benefits of this process. The guest speaker of this session was Graham Bell, Chief Data Architect at EDItEUR. Other speakers included Karina Luke, BIC. 

Graham also runs BIC’s ‘Bibliographic Metadata and ONIX: practical guidance and best practice’ and ‘Advanced ONIX for Books’ courses.

FEBRUARY 2013 BIC BREAKFAST 

Digital Archiving

Kindly sponsored by:

Another sold out event, February’s BIC Breakfast looked at the 2013 enactment of legal deposit legislation. The event took place on Thursday 28th February and provided publishers with the opportunity to hear about these new regulations, to learn about the deposit options available to them and to assess their implications for your business. The British Library is keen to engage with the major players in the industry and work with BIC towards an efficient streamlined deposit process in the digital space. If publishers wish to learn more about the new regulations they should contact the British Library directly for further information.

JANUARY 2013 BIC BREAKFAST 

The Data Sessions



Kindly sponsored by:


On Thursday 21 January 2013, we held our first ever BIC Breakfast at Bowker’s London office. This session focussed on Metadata and was completely sold out! Guest speakers at this BIC Breakfast included Emma Barnes, co-founder and MD of Snowbooks; Karina Luke, BIC; and Jack Tipping, Bowker.


A word about our sponsors…

Bowker is the world’s leading provider of bibliographic information management solutions designed to help publishers, booksellers, and libraries better serve their customers. The company is focused on developing various tools and products that make books easier for people to discover, evaluate, order, and experience. Bowker, the US ISBN agency, manages UK bibliographic data and delivers a comprehensive UK data source to book information researchers and buyers. 
www.bowker.co.uk 

British Library logo

The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world’s greatest research libraries. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive research collection. The Library’s collection has developed over 250 years and exceeds 150 million separate items representing every age of written civilisation and includes books, journals, manuscripts, maps, stamps, music, patents, photographs, newspapers and sound recordings in all written and spoken languages.
www.bl.uk

IPR License is the platform for publishers, authors and literary agents to list and license book and journal rights. The platform offers the opportunity to monetise or find the best new content in a global marketplace. With over 14m records and over 400 members, and a customer reach of over 50,000 publishers in over 90 countries, through its bespoke TradeRights software the platform is fully transactional, completing licensing deals around the clock and generating new revenue for publishers.
www.iprlicense.com


Nielsen Book is the leading information and research company in the book industry.  Its portfolio includes: business Intelligence, consumer research, discovery and commerce solutions. Nielsen Book provides unique identifiers; comprehensive, enriched bibliographic data; integrated services for book selection, electronic ordering and business messaging; it measures and analyses print book sales and provides consumer research on purchasing behaviour and collects library borrowing data for UK public libraries.
www.nielsen.co.uk

 

Established in 1982, Paper Management Services (PMS) are the UK’s largest book paper supplier.  They service the needs of clients in the Book, Journal and Magazine market, by providing unique and innovative out-placement solutions for buying and procuring paper on a global scale to UK, Europe, South America and Asia.
www.paper-man.co.uk
 

PKF Littlejohn is an independent firm of chartered accountants and business advisors based in London’s Canary Wharf. They are one of the largest single office practices in the UK and provide a full range of audit, accountancy, tax and advisory services to a broad range of clients. Their specialists help clients overcome the challenges they face through a comprehensive commercial and technical understanding of their businesses and a high level of partner involvement. The firm is a member of PKF International, a network of legally independent member firms located in around 125 countries throughout the world. 
www.pkf-littlejohn.com 

More than just a printer, printondemand-worldwide has become, over nearly two decades of trading, a content manager and distributor for books and journals in physical and electronic forms. They offer a comprehensive range of services, including short and long-run digital printing in mono and colour, a suite of POD services including a comprehensive retail/wholesale model (BookVault), e-book conversion and distribution (E-Vault), and a consumer on-line platform, The Great British Book Shop.  Their newest product is Journal Vault, a flexible web-based system for the storage, printing and distribution of journals.
www.printondemand-worldwide.com

Publishing Technology is the world-leading provider of content solutions that transform business. We cover the publishing process from end to end with content systems, audience development and content delivery software and services. Combining our unmatched publishing knowledge, global operations and perpetual support model with our advance enterprise system, ingentaconnect scholarly portal, pub2web custom hosting platform and PCG (Publishers Communication Group) sales and marketing consultancy, we offer the industry’s only full spectrum of solutions to help publishers move their content forward. Listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange, the company operates jointly from Europe (Oxford) and North America (Boston and New Jersey), with local offices in Brazil, India, China and Australia. Assisting 400 trade and scholarly publishers for over thirty years, Publishing Technology solves the fundamental issues content providers face.
www.publishingtechnology.com, or follow @publishingtech.

Virtusales is a dynamic and rapidly expanding company who is working with some of the world’s leading publishers including Hachette, Penguin, Random House, Pearson Education, Pan Macmillan and Harvard University Press. Virtusales is dedicated to software development, implementation and consultancy, solely for the book publishing industry, primarily in the UK, USA, Australia and Europe.

Virtusales is growing and evolving to continue supporting its customers during this time of rapid change within the book publishing industry. Its leading edge, web-based technology, rapid development cycle of new functionality and close working relationships with its customers ensure that new challenges are handled quickly. Virtusales roadmap of new developments provides an advanced view of how software is being developed to support future needs.
www.virtusales.com


If you’re interesting in sponsoring a BIC Breakfast please contact:  info@bic.org.uk.