Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Public Lending Right Program (PLR)

The Public Lending Right Program is a federal cultural program that compensates Canadian creators for the free public use of their works in libraries. Established in 1986 under the Canada Council for the Arts, the program represents Canada's commitment to supporting literary culture and authors' economic rights. It is one of over 30 PLR programs worldwide, and is a member of Public Lending Right International (PLRI).

Eligible creators must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents and contribute to eligible works in one of six categories: writing, editing (with original written contributions), translation, illustration, photography, or narration. Eligible works must be published books, e-books, or audiobooks in eligible genres (fiction, poetry, drama, children's literature, non-fiction, scholarly work) published within the last 5 years with a valid 13-digit ISBN. Works must be at least 48 pages (24 for children's books). The creator's contribution must comprise at least 10% of the book's length.

Payments are determined through annual library catalogue sampling across 40 public library networks across Canada. The program uses a hit rate (e.g., $60.14 in 2025-26) multiplied by the number of library groupings where a title is found, adjusted by the creator's share percentage and a time adjustment based on years registered (100% for years 0-5, declining to 50% for years 16-25). Payments range from $50 minimum to $4,500 maximum per year.

The PLR Commission, a permanent advisory body established in 1986, oversees program policies, eligibility criteria, and sampling methodology. The Commission includes writers, translators, librarians, and publishers from both official language communities, plus ex-officio representatives from federal institutions. Annual reports provide detailed financial and statistical information, including the $14.8M payment budget and recipient data.