This is part of a year-long ‘Love for Local’ series called NB365: portraits of New Brunswick entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations. Huddle is a media partner with Love for Local. Today, we hear from Susanne Alexander of Goose Lane Editions in Fredericton.

THE REAL QUESTION IS WHAT MADE ME STAY IN BUSINESS. GOING INTO BUSINESS IS EASY. STAYING IN BUSINESS WAS MUCH HARDER.
I joined Goose Lane when it was already more than 30 years old because of my belief in the importance of publishing in this country, because of the company’s historic role in the creation and support of literature writ large, and because of the foolish idea that I might be able to make a contribution in some small way – to New Brunswick and to the literature of the country.

I stayed because I found the work to be invigorating, demanding, exciting, and exhausting – in the best ways possible. It introduced me to new ideas, challenged my thinking, offered me opportunities to meet people that I otherwise would not have met, and provided me with opportunities to work with inventive people who are constantly challenging the status quo.

When we support local, we encourage inventiveness, expansion, diversification, and a high degree of competence. When we support local enterprises, we affirm the value of what is offered and made by our friends, neighbours, and colleagues, and we create opportunities for success in our midst. Supporting local also reduces our environmental footprint, enhances our local economy, and encourages ingenuity and unique forms of expression. New Brunswick is full of highly inventive, thoughtful, creative thinkers and doers. Supporting local provides them with opportunities to thrive.

Goose Lane Editions has just received Benetech’s GCA certification, an independent third-party EPUB certification program that verifies eBook accessibility. Our immediate goal is to ensure that all of our eBooks meet international accessibility standards so that they are accessible to all readers, both those who require accessibility features and those who do not.

After a ten-year hiatus, we’ve also relaunched BTC Audiobooks, this time in digital format. Some readers will remember the BTC Audiobooks program that we produced with CBC Radio as audio CDs and (gulp) audiocassettes. In the coming seasons, we are planning to add to his new digital audio collection with several new productions.