In remarks made at last month's meeting of the Publishers' Financial Round Table, Association of American Publishers president Pat Schr der emphasized two of her favorite themes: the need to protect the rights of copyright holders and the need to improve America's literacy rate.
Despite the growth of the Internet, Schr der said she is not pessimistic about the future of content. "The Internet is in such a position that without good content, it becomes the Yellow Pages." The trick for publishers, Schr der explained, is to develop a user-friendly system through which people can get the content they are looking for--and pay for it. While Schr der believes printed books will be in existence for quite a while, she stressed that it is not the format in which content is delivered that is important but rather the quality of the content. "If you have good content, people will come," she said.
The AAP president also told the audience that one of the most encouraging developments in the industry this year has been the success of the Harry Potter books, observing that the series "has gotten boys to read again." Schr der said she is very disappointed with America's literacy rate, and urged all members of the book industry to band together to promote the reading habit. "We should be obsessed about getting kids to start reading at an early age," she emphasized. Schr der said she was also very encouraged about the results of the AAP's first Get Caught Reading campaign, adding that she hopes more elements of the industry will join with the association to expand the program.
