First time user connection on BibliMags service?
Users Questions
1Who can access BibliMags service?
You simply need to be a registered member of a participating library in Quebec. You can view the listing participating libraries on the interactive map at the bottom of www.biblimags.ca home page.
Elsewhere in the world, libraries located in Canada outside Qc, US, Australia and New Zealand can offer BibliMags service with our partner Bibliotheca.com
If you are not yet a member of your participating local library, do so by contacting your library directly!
2How can I access BibliMags service?
With your participating local library member ID in hand, you may access BibliMags online for free at: www.biblimags.magzter.com or using the "BibliMags" app for Android devices on Google Play or iOS devices on Apple Store.
3Is the service really free for users?
Yes, it's completely free! As a member of a participating library you have nothing to pay for using the service or reading magazines.
In fact, it's your participating local library that pays for a subscription to the magazines and newspapers offered and lends them to users, just as the library would also do for print magazines and newspapers. With the difference that on BibliMags, you can read magazines and newspapers everywhere!
4How is BibliMags different from other digital magazine services offered in libraries?
BibliMags is a project of Bibliopresto.ca, a non-profit organization created by more than 1,000 public libraries across Canada and administered by public library officials.
BibliMags is a collaborative project with community stakeholders: libraries, publishers, users, government agencies; and the goal is the establishment of a winning service for all actors in the digital chain. In particular, libraries benefit from negotiated rates, and publishers ensure perfect transparency of the business model and a fair revenue share in the chain for themselves and their authors.
5My local library is not participating, how can it become?
Do not hesitate to ask your library directly to subscribe to the BibliMags offer. Your opinion counts! You can also send us your wish by email at info@biblimags.ca with your physical address. We will forward your request to your local library.
Also check if the BIBLIO network in your area has subscribed to the BibliMags service.
Librarians Questions
1Who is Bibliopresto.ca, the organization behind BibliMags in Quebec?
Bibliopresto.ca is a non-profit organization created by more than 1,000 public libraries in Canada. Its board is composed of librarians who understand libraries, their digital issues, their constraints and their needs.
Libraries members of Bibliopresto.ca include for example, the public libraries of Montreal, Laval, Quebec City, Gatineau, Sherbrooke, the BAnQ and regional BIBLIO networks.
BibliMags is a registered trademark and service of Montreal based beConect Technologies inc.
2Which libraries can subscribe to the BibliMags service?
Any public or non-public library in Quebec can subscribe to the BibliMags service.
Elsewhere in the world, libraries located in Canada outside Qc, US, Australia and New Zealand can offer BibliMags service with our partner Bibliotheca.com
3What are the benefits of the BibliMags service for libraries?
BibliMags was created on the observation that the current digital magazine and newspapers services in library had many shortcomings, including interfaces not adapted to the two languages (English and French), a limited choice of digital magazines, especially local and of all types (cultural, free, specialized ...), an often opaque and unbalanced economic model, a lack of responsiveness and listening to the needs of librarians and their users, and a lack of social consultation.
BibliMags has designed a service by and for libraries, which aims to evolve with you. The interfaces are in both official languages, a diversity of content is strongly favored, with already more than 150 Canadian publishers. In addition, agreements and fee schedule for libraries are negotiated annually with the representatives of the more than 1,000 library members of Bibliopresto.ca, in a spirit of saving and fair redistribution of income among all stakeholders.
Finally, a close relationship is established between libraries and publishers, in a mutual benefit of promoting content, events in the library or otherwise. And thanks to BibliMags, libraries ensure a good global coordination of actions and services with the various social and governmental organizations with whom Bibliopresto.ca often communicates.
4What is the cost for libraries?
Libraries pay an annual platform fee and a subscription fee to digital content. The latter is calculated according to the annual number of loans in each library.
The libraries fee schedule is negotiated annually with the representatives of the more than 1,000 library members of Bibliopresto.ca, in a spirit of saving and fair redistribution of income among all stakeholders. Generally pseaking, BibliMags service is more economical than other private services.
You can obtain pricing and agreement information by contacting BibliMags (via the contact menu) or a member of our team (see below).
Publishers Questions
1How to make our magazines available in the BibliMags offer?
If your magazines or newspapers are not already available from our digital content partner Magzter (www.magzter.com) or our other digital content partners (see the list of our partners at the bottom of the home page at www.biblimags.ca), you can contact us directly and we will be happy to discuss with you and, if needed, propose a distribution/commercialization agreement for your magazines or newspapers.
We favor a direct link with Canadian magazine and newspapers publishers, and magazines and newspapers in English or French that may be of interest to the Canadian public.
2Is it really free for publishers?
Yes! There are no costs or fees for publishers. It's as simple as that.
However, the publisher must provide digital content in a specific PDF format, and must bear the cost of generating magazines in that format, if applicable. The PDF format requested by BibliMags is however quite standard and it is rather rare that the publishers do not have it already or that it can not be generated simply.
3How are publishers paid and what is the business model?
Financially, the main beneficiary is the publisher. He does not have to pay to integrate its digital content into BibliMags service, and receives a commission in proportion to the use made of his titles. Normally, the publisher's commission is 50% of subscription fees for the digital content paid by libraries. A digital content e-distributor may have a larger commission due to its increased role.
Libraries pay a platform fee and a subscription fee for digital content. The latter is calculated according to the annual number of loans in each library.
Example: a library subscribes to digital magazines at a cost of $10,000/year. If publisher X titles accounted for 5% of the weighted readings. Publisher X will receive a 50% commission of $ 500, or $ 250 for the use made in this library.
The business model is fully transparent, equitable and balanced, and BibliMags redistributes all money received from libraries.
4What are the benefits of being part of the BibliMags service for publishers?
BibliMags is a collaborative project of a non-profit organization, which means that business parameters are defined with all stakeholders, including publishers, in a win-win state of mind. We define opportunities and commissions with you!
In addition, publishers benefit from the privileged position of BibliMags / Bibliopresto.ca towards more than 1000 public libraries in Canada, and can expect a wide diffusion and use of its magazines.
Publishers can rely on Bibliopresto.ca's unique strength and experience. For example, in the digital book, Bibliopresto.ca operates a service to which over 90% of public libraries in Quebec and New Brunswick subscribe with more than 850,000 users. Ambitions are similar for digital magazines and newspapers.
5How do publishers control their digital content? Is it secure?
Security is very important to us! We work with Magzter (www.magzter.com) a world-renowned technology partner that provides BibliMags with its white label software solutions.
Publishers fully control their digital content. They hold the keys to the content they deposit on the platform and can withdraw them at any time and set the selling price. The publisher may access the control interface himself at: www.biblimags.magzter.com/publishers. He or she controls metadata and PDF files of digital content and fully controls the BibliMags marketing channel to Canadian libraries, or optionally, on other marketing channels.
The publisher has access through its publisher interface to usage and financial reports and receives commissions directly from Bibliopresto.ca, a Canadian non-profit organization located in Montreal.
In addition, all the digital contents accessible on BibliMags service can only be used on the BibliMags service (online and apps) encrypted in a proprietary format and without the possibility to export the digital content outside the BibliMags service. Users can only keep their digital content during the validity period of their subscription. They no longer have access to the magazines after the end of this period.
Finally, the publisher may terminate its participation at any time subject to simple prior notice.
Terms and conditions of the service are detailed in the publisher agreement.
