Program Overview

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Program model

The Public Lending Right is the right of authors to receive payment for free public use of their works in libraries. More than 30 countries around the world have PLR programs. In some countries, payments to eligible authors are based on library lending. In other countries, payments are based on the total number of copies of each book held in libraries. In Canada, payments are based on the presence of a title in public library catalogues that are consulted during the annual PLR survey. Canada’s PLR Program was established in 1986.

In Canada, the calculation of PLR payments is determined by the PLR Commission, an advisory body of the Canada Council for the Arts. The payment process takes a full year and involves four main steps: registering titles, verifying title eligibility, sampling public library collections and preparing and issuing payments.

Shani Mootoo, wearing a striped, collared shirt and dark glasses under a mop of black hair, gazes off to the side with a smile.

Every year, mid-February is like a second Christmas, for I know a payment cheque from the PLR program will soon arrive in the mail. I am in awe of the program, for, to me, its existence is an acknowledgment of the value of cultural production, in particular of books, of the social importance of free access to books, and it honours the rights of people like me—writers--to be paid for our labour. The remuneration is, however, more than money. It is always a most welcome encouragement.

— Shani Mootoo, novelist and poet
Southern Ontario

Anita Anand

As an author and literary translator of books published by small presses with limited marketing budgets, I depend on libraries to make my work available to a broader audience across Canada. The support from the PLR means so much more to me; it is not just any cheque!

— Anita Anand, author and translator
Saint-Lambert, Quebec

Library sampling

We determine PLR payments based on the presence of an eligible title in the collections of selected library systems.

Our approach is to include library catalogues with large collections from all provinces, territories and regions of Canada. We don’t take into account the number of copies found in each library or the number of times a title has been checked out.

For many years, PLR sampling was done by hand, with librarians going through their collections with a list of registered titles. Now, the PLR team compares the list of all eligible titles with the library’s online catalogue or a digital copy of its catalogue. At the end of the process, we have a record of how many times each registered title was found. Only those creators whose library survey results amount to at least $50 qualify to receive a PLR payment.

Preparation and sending of payments

We calculate each author payment based on the number of titles each author has registered, the number of times each of the titles was found and the PLR payment budget.

Other variables can also affect the payments, for example:

  • the author’s percentage share
  • the maximum or minimum payment set by the PLR Commission
  • the payment category in which the title falls, determined by the number of years the title has been registered

Each January, the payments are calculated, checked and finalized, and the payments and reports are produced. Results are sent to authors in mid-February.

Note: If a payment is not cashed by the end of the calendar year, the amount is placed back into the PLR author payment budget for the following year.

Public Lending Right International (PLRI)

More than 30 countries around the world have PLR programs. Canada’s PLR program is a member of Public Lending Right International (PLRI). PLRI brings together organizations that oversee PLR programs around the world exchange information, develop best practices and promote PLR programs. Learn more about PLRI.