By Andrew Richard Albanese, Editor-in-Chief
The Book Industry Study Group and BookNet Canada have announced that their second AI in the Book Industry Survey is now live, and are asking publishing professionals and librarians across North America to participate.The survey is open to professionals across the industry—”bookselling, distribution, printing, libraries, technology providers, and related service organizations, as well as independent and freelance professionals serving the industry”—and once again seeks to capture “current experiences, concerns, priorities, and expectations surrounding AI.”
In a release, reps said the survey will remain open through July 17 and takes approximately 10–15 minutes to complete. All responses are anonymous, and results will again be shared in a free public report.
“The more voices represented, the more valuable the findings will be for the industry as a whole,” the release adds, noting that the “expanded” 2026 survey will build on last year’s research. “If you work anywhere in the book publishing supply chain, we encourage you to participate and share the survey with your colleagues.”
As Publishing Perspectives reported, BISG and BookNet Canada in April released a report from its first survey, AI Use Across the North American Book Industry: 2025 which garnered 559 responses across “a broad range of professional roles.”
The report found AI use among publishing professionals and librarians in North America to be “uneven and often exploratory,” marked by a mix of “cautious optimism” and concern about the technology’s development. Furthermore, despite “half the industry” saying they use AI, overall impressions of the technology were “overwhelmingly negative,” suggesting that “the industry is adopting AI faster than it is becoming comfortable with it.”
Overall, respondents to the 2025 survey “frequently emphasized concerns about copyright, ethics, job impacts, environmental costs, and the reliability of AI-generated outputs.” At the same time, “many participants acknowledged that AI tools may offer practical benefits for limited operational tasks when used with human oversight.”