About BISG

The Book Industry Study Group (BISG) is a membership organization made up of a diverse slate of publishers, manufacturers, wholesalers & distributors, libraries, retailers and industry partners. What unifies them is the value they receive by joining and engaging with our committees, where work gets done that improves the industry. Our committees are where relationships get built and good ideas are surfaced, solving problems that affect two or more parts of the industry, with five core practice areas: metadata, rights, supply chain, subject codes (BISAC), and workflow.

 Explore BISG Committees
 

Metadata

Rights

Subject Codes

Supply Chain

Workflow

 

But what we truly are is a community — an organization built on participation.

Founded in 1976 after the annual conference of the Book Manufacturers Institute, for almost 50 years BISG has worked to improve standards, research and information for the entire publishing supply chain. Initially organized to address the need for better research capabilities, we continue to evolve to meet the needs of a membership adapting to new and emerging ways published content is produced and sold.

Today we collaborate in the development and execution of standardized best practices, while also sharing leading-edge research and information, and creating education and events to help our membership and the industry better understand market trends and issues.

Through our committees, events, and publications, we connect the people who work at these companies with opportunities to help the industry run more effectively and efficiently for the benefit of all.

 
Our Board           Become a Member

 

BISG by the Numbers

Icon with two rows of simplified torso-and-head figures. Three on the bottom row, two above. Blue-green gradient line art.

2800+

Individual
Members

Icon with three overlapping buildings, simplified lineart in a blue-green gradient.

200+

Member
Organizations

Icon of globe with Atlantic Ocean in the middle. Blue-green gradient lineart.

25 States & 10 Countries

Represented
Globally

Icon of a calendar with rounded corners. Six boxes in two rows, with the lower middle one filled in.

60+ Events

Held Per Year 



Become a member

 

Our Mission, Vision and Values

Mission:

To create a more informed, empowered and efficient book industry.

Vision:

To serve as publishing’s primary resource for solving problems that affect more than one part of the supply chain.

Values


Focus:

We concentrate resources on activities and programs that deliver a maximum impact focused on increased book industry efficiency.


Shared Solutions:

We provide solutions that improve the distribution and sale of books and published content.


Results Orientation:

We ensure that our programs and products serve BISG’s mission and objectives in measurable ways.


Best in Class:

We ensure that all standards, best practices, and programs developed and delivered by BISG are the most validated, most efficient, and most current in the industry — that anyone applying them can be assured that they’re the state of the art.


Collaborative:

We recognize that the unique power and strength of BISG lives in the commitment of its members, volunteers, board, and staff to teamwork and collaboration — whether in project committees, educational programs, personal training, mentoring, sharing best practices, or empowering the book industry.

 

Headshot of Tyler Carey, BISG Member and Workflow Committee Member“BISG helps us understand the trends that are impacting the way people and publishers are interacting with their content. They…act like a think tank for what the official policies, procedures and guidelines are.”

Tyler Carey, Chief Revenue Officer
 Westchester Publishing Services, BISG Member and Workflow Committee Member

 

Objectives

BISG has four core objectives we aim to achieve.

                  

Closeup of hands writing on a pile of papers. Camera is focused on the right hand, holding a pen.

Information

Establish BISG as the “information hub” for the book industry supply chain.

View our Digital Resources
Read BISG Newsletters

 

Modern looking books on a white bookcase, organized by color

Standards

Foster the development, refinement and use of standards that improve revenue, promote product visibility, reduce costs and ensure transparency across the book industry supply chain in the US and across global markets.

Metadata Events & Webinars
Metadata Committee
Supply Chain
Workflow

 

A BISG member sitting at a table in a dark wood office space, looking at a laptop screen, his face lit up by the glow.

Research

Shape the conversation about the current state and future of book publishing by studying and communicating about emerging topics, issues and trends that affect the book industry.

Policy & Research
Research Events & Webinars

 

Two people in a bookshop looking up at a book on a higher shelf. One of the people is reaching up to grab the book.

Inclusion

Foster diversity, equity, and inclusion within BISG and across all segments of the book publishing industry supply chain.

Benefits of Membership
Become A Member
List of BISG Members

Subscribe to BISG's Newsletter

 Get the latest industry news, from a diverse slate of voices, delivered to your inbox.  Sign up

View from above of a desk with an open laptop, books lined up neatly, a pair of glasses, a camera, and apple, and a small pottted plant. The laptop is cropped at the keyboard, and most of the space is empty desk.