At BookNet, metadata is at the core of what we do. With so much of it flowing in and out of our products and services, we’ve seen it all. In this blog series, we'll share each of the common issues addressed in the Improving your metadata: Common issues and how to fix them Tech Forum presentation where eight BookNetters walk you through some of the most common issues we see in publishers’ metadata, highlighting what metadata standards are recommended for each case and showing you how to fix these common problems.
Why is this important? Accurate, high-quality metadata ensures your books are seen and that they succeed in today’s competitive marketplace. Join us as we help you optimize your metadata and unlock its full potential!
The issue: Canadian authors aren't being identified
In the Canadian publishing industry, ensuring Canadian voices are heard is essential. Readers, booksellers, and library staff want to discover Canadian-authored books, and clear identification in metadata helps these titles stand out.
Why is this an issue?
The issue with Canadians not being identified in a book's metadata is that it impacts more than discoverability. Accurate author location metadata is essential for marketing initiatives, research, bestseller lists, and curated bookstore displays. Additionally, some online retailers, tools, and platforms, including BookNet Canada’s CataList, SalesData, and Bibli-O-Matic, use visual markers like maple leaf icons to highlight and promote Canadian contributors. And platforms like 49th Shelf, which exclusively feature titles by Canadian authors, rely on this information to populate their listings. Without proper identification, Canadian voices risk being overlooked, making it harder for publishers to connect readers with the books they’re eager to discover and support.
What BookNet recommends
1. Define a Canadian contributor
BookNet and the Canadian Bibliographic Committee define a Canadian contributor as an author, illustrator, translator, or editor who is a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada. You can learn more about this here.
2. Provide location information in your ONIX metadata
Whether you are using ONIX 2.1 or 3.0, the best way to help identify Canadian contributors is by including location information for your book contributors. In ONIX 2.1, add the <CountryCode> element to the <Contributor> composite and input the code “CA" to represent Canada. In ONIX 3.0, you'll still be adding to the <Contributor> composite, but within that is a new composite called <ContributorPlace>, which contains two elements. The first is <CountryCode> and the second is <ContributorPlaceRelator>. Adding a contributor place relator allows you to be much more specific about the relationship that the contributor has to the place that you've identified. Many platforms, including CataList for example, look for the place relator code “08,” which indicates that the author is a citizen of the specified country. This follows the definition of the Canadian Bibliographic Committee, but be aware that some vendors may use different definitions according to their business needs.
3. Ensure metadata accuracy
It's vital to use these metadata elements accurately. Manipulating data to force the appearance of a maple leaf icon is not helpful. Accurate and high-quality metadata is essential for books to be seen and succeed.
4. Work with your partners
If you don't have access to the data to take the steps we've outlined, or if you've already gone through these steps and you're still not seeing results, talk to your data partners. Find out how they expect to receive information on Canadian contributors and do your best to follow their guidelines. That way, you'll be able to make sure that your Canadian authors are being recognized in the market and that readers hungry for Canadian content can find your books.
5. Let bibliographic standards guide you
Bibliographic standards are constantly evolving. We recommend you stay up to date by reviewing the information shared in our user documentation and on our blog, as well as any new information coming from standards-focused organizations such as EDItEUR.
Need help? Don't hesitate to reach out to the BookNet team with specific questions.
The complete slide deck and transcript from this session are available here.
To stay up to date, subscribe to our weekly newsletter, eNews, where we share news about upcoming events and webinars, infographics and new research, updates on industry standards, links round-ups, and more.
Sales and library circulation data of Satire titles during the the first quarter of 2026.