More than 150 booksellers are slated to receive funding from the Canadian government to help them expand their online book sales over the next two years.

The Canada Book Fund has earmarked $12 million to be distributed to 180 booksellers operating 467 bookstores across the country, the department of Canadian Heritage announced last week. The booksellers selected include 177 small chains and independent booksellers across the country, many in Ontario and Quebec, and three large chain booksellers (Indigo, Librairie Renaud-Bray, and Groupe Archambault). The amount of funding allocated to each bookseller was based on past sales of Canadian-authored books.

“Local bookstores are an important link connecting Canadians to our stories. Supporting our booksellers in expanding their online sales is an investment in our cultural outreach, but also in the future of our authors and publishers,” Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said in a release. “They will be able to reach more readers across Canada, wherever they are located, so they have access to a wide range of Canadian books.”

This allocation of funds is the first time money has been distributed as part of the Canada Book Fund’s support for booksellers component, which was announced in the 2021 budget. A total investment of $32.1 million is to be distributed over two years.