[Angela NicIlleathain – Preseantair] Tha am foillsichear Acair a’comharrachadh 40 bliadhna bho chaidh a chur air dòigh. Chaidh a' chompanaidh a stèidheachadh airson leabhraichean Gàidhlig fhoillseachadh do chloinn-sgoile. An-diugh ge-tà, tha 'd a' foillseachadh iomadh seòrsa leabhair, gach cuid ann an Gàidhlig agus ann am Beurla. Ach le uimhir ga fhoillseachadh air-loidhne a-nis, dè cho cinnteach 's a tha an t-slighe a tha romhpa? Tha an aithris-sa aig Aonghas Dòmhnallach.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Bha cruinneachadh an oifis Acair ann an Steòrnabhagh airson comharrachadh g' eil an companaidh san 40 bliadhna bho chaidh a thòiseachadh. Bha dìth leabhraichean freagarrach ann aig an àm do chlann-sgoile gu h-àraidh agus le taic bho trì ùghdarrasan ionadail, chaidh an companaidh a chur air chois.
[Iain Moireach] ‘S e rud caran annasach a bh’ ann, gu robh an companaidh a bha seo stèidhichte le luchd-urrais a bha nan comhairlichean agus a bha air gealltainn gum pàigheadh iad ’s gun ceannaichidh iad leabhraichean.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] An-diugh tha tòrr nas lugha dhe na leabhraichean a th' iad a’ foillseachadh a’ dol dha na sgoiltean agus iad a’ feuchainn air margaid nas fharsainge.
[Agnes Rennie] Càil a tha na sgoiltean a’ ceannach, ’s ann air sgàth gu bheil e freagairt ’s mathaid aig an àm air rudeigin air a bheil ùidh aig tidsear fhèin. No gu bheil e freagairt air cuspair sònraichte a thathas a’ dèanamh aig an àm. ’S mar sin dheth, tha an àireamh a leabhraichean a tha Acair agus foillsichearan eile gu dearbha a’ reic a-steach dha na sgoiltean air crìonadh gu mòr.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Ach bha Acair cuideachd ga choimhead cudromach leabhraichean a thoirt do Ghàidheil anns an dualchas aca fhèin.
[An Oll. Fionnlagh MacLeòid] Uill bhon fhìor thoiseach, bhathas airson leabhraichean fhaighinn a bha seirm agus a’ moladh agus a’ foillseachadh an dualchais dham buineadh sinn. Agus cha b’ e turchartas a bh’ ann, an dearbh chiad leabhar, ’s ann mu dheidhinn na h-Iolaire a bha e, Call na h-Iolaire. Às dèidh sin, chaidh leabhraichean mu dheidhinn diadhachd, ‘People of the Great Faith,’ leabhraichean mar sin a bha cho ùr agus cho buileach feumail dha dualchas a bhathas a’ neartachadh.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Bha dùil bho chionn deich bliadhna gu robh latha nan leabhraichean gu bhith seachad agus gu faighear stuth leughaidh gu lèir air-loidhne ‘s gu robh làithean companaidhean foillseachaidh a’ tighinn gu ceann.
[Agnes Rennie] Chan e sin a tha air tachairt idir. Tha a’ mhargaid air seasamh ri leabhraichean pàipeir. Tha e mar gum biodh a’ mhargaid a tha lorg leabhraichean-e, tha i mar gum biodh i air suidheachadh agus tha sin a’ fàgail gu bheil àite ann fhathast airson gach cuid.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Tha seo chun an ath 40 bliadhna, às bith dè bhios ann an uair sin. Aonghas Dòmhnallach, BBC An Là, ann an Steòrnabhagh.
[Angela MacLean – Presenter] The publisher Acair is celebrating 40 years since it was set up. The company was originally established to publish Gaelic books for school children. Today though, they publish many genres of books, both in Gaelic and in English. But with the amount being published online now, how certain is their future? Angus MacDonald has this report.
[Angus MacDonald - Reporter] A gathering was held in the Acair office in Stornoway to celebrate that the company is in its 40th year since it began. There was a lack of suitable books at the time, particularly for school children and with help from the local authorities, the company was set up.
[Iain Murray] It was quite a rare thing, that there was this company set up by trustees who were councillors who had promised to fund and purchase the books.
[Angus MacDonald - Reporter] Today, fewer of the books they publish go to schools and they are targeting a wider market.
[Agnes Rennie] Anything that the schools buy is perhaps what’s current and what interests the teacher. Or something with relevance to a specific subject they cover at the time. Therefore, the number of books Acair and indeed other publishers are selling to schools has declined greatly.
[Angus MacDonald - Reporter] But Acair also saw that it was important to have books for Gaels on their own heritage.
[Dr Finlay MacLeod] Well from the very beginning, they wanted books which would promote, praise and publish the heritage we belong to. And it was no coincidence that the very first book was about the HMY Iolaire, ‘Call na h-Iolaire.’ After that, books about theology appeared, such as ‘People of the Great Faith,’ modern books like that which were crucial to strengthening the heritage.
[Angus MacDonald – Reporter] It was thought 10 years ago that the age of the book was over, that all reading materials would be available online and that the days of publishing companies were coming to an end.
[Agnes Rennie] That’s not what’s happened at all. The market for books has withstood. It’s almost as if the market for e-books has plateaued which has meant that there is still a demand for both.
[Angus MacDonald – Reporter] Here’s to the next 40 years, whatever may exist then. Angus MacDonald, BBC An Là in Stornoway.
[Angela NicIlleathain – Preseantair] Tha am foillsichear Acair a’comharrachadh 40 bliadhna bho chaidh a chur air dòigh. Chaidh a' chompanaidh a stèidheachadh airson leabhraichean Gàidhlig fhoillseachadh do chloinn-sgoile. An-diugh ge-tà, tha 'd a' foillseachadh iomadh seòrsa leabhair, gach cuid ann an Gàidhlig agus ann am Beurla. Ach le uimhir ga fhoillseachadh air-loidhne a-nis, dè cho cinnteach 's a tha an t-slighe a tha romhpa? Tha an aithris-sa aig Aonghas Dòmhnallach.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Bha cruinneachadh an oifis Acair ann an Steòrnabhagh airson comharrachadh g' eil an companaidh san 40 bliadhna bho chaidh a thòiseachadh. Bha dìth leabhraichean freagarrach ann aig an àm do chlann-sgoile gu h-àraidh agus le taic bho trì ùghdarrasan ionadail, chaidh an companaidh a chur air chois.
[Iain Moireach] ‘S e rud caran annasach a bh’ ann, gu robh an companaidh a bha seo stèidhichte le luchd-urrais a bha nan comhairlichean agus a bha air gealltainn gum pàigheadh iad ’s gun ceannaichidh iad leabhraichean.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] An-diugh tha tòrr nas lugha dhe na leabhraichean a th' iad a’ foillseachadh a’ dol dha na sgoiltean agus iad a’ feuchainn air margaid nas fharsainge.
[Agnes Rennie] Càil a tha na sgoiltean a’ ceannach, ’s ann air sgàth gu bheil e freagairt ’s mathaid aig an àm air rudeigin air a bheil ùidh aig tidsear fhèin. No gu bheil e freagairt air cuspair sònraichte a thathas a’ dèanamh aig an àm. ’S mar sin dheth, tha an àireamh a leabhraichean a tha Acair agus foillsichearan eile gu dearbha a’ reic a-steach dha na sgoiltean air crìonadh gu mòr.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Ach bha Acair cuideachd ga choimhead cudromach leabhraichean a thoirt do Ghàidheil anns an dualchas aca fhèin.
[An Oll. Fionnlagh MacLeòid] Uill bhon fhìor thoiseach, bhathas airson leabhraichean fhaighinn a bha seirm agus a’ moladh agus a’ foillseachadh an dualchais dham buineadh sinn. Agus cha b’ e turchartas a bh’ ann, an dearbh chiad leabhar, ’s ann mu dheidhinn na h-Iolaire a bha e, Call na h-Iolaire. Às dèidh sin, chaidh leabhraichean mu dheidhinn diadhachd, ‘People of the Great Faith,’ leabhraichean mar sin a bha cho ùr agus cho buileach feumail dha dualchas a bhathas a’ neartachadh.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Bha dùil bho chionn deich bliadhna gu robh latha nan leabhraichean gu bhith seachad agus gu faighear stuth leughaidh gu lèir air-loidhne ‘s gu robh làithean companaidhean foillseachaidh a’ tighinn gu ceann.
[Agnes Rennie] Chan e sin a tha air tachairt idir. Tha a’ mhargaid air seasamh ri leabhraichean pàipeir. Tha e mar gum biodh a’ mhargaid a tha lorg leabhraichean-e, tha i mar gum biodh i air suidheachadh agus tha sin a’ fàgail gu bheil àite ann fhathast airson gach cuid.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Tha seo chun an ath 40 bliadhna, às bith dè bhios ann an uair sin. Aonghas Dòmhnallach, BBC An Là, ann an Steòrnabhagh.
[Angela MacLean – Presenter] The publisher Acair is celebrating 40 years since it was set up. The company was originally established to publish Gaelic books for school children. Today though, they publish many genres of books, both in Gaelic and in English. But with the amount being published online now, how certain is their future? Angus MacDonald has this report.
[Angus MacDonald - Reporter] A gathering was held in the Acair office in Stornoway to celebrate that the company is in its 40th year since it began. There was a lack of suitable books at the time, particularly for school children and with help from the local authorities, the company was set up.
[Iain Murray] It was quite a rare thing, that there was this company set up by trustees who were councillors who had promised to fund and purchase the books.
[Angus MacDonald - Reporter] Today, fewer of the books they publish go to schools and they are targeting a wider market.
[Agnes Rennie] Anything that the schools buy is perhaps what’s current and what interests the teacher. Or something with relevance to a specific subject they cover at the time. Therefore, the number of books Acair and indeed other publishers are selling to schools has declined greatly.
[Angus MacDonald - Reporter] But Acair also saw that it was important to have books for Gaels on their own heritage.
[Dr Finlay MacLeod] Well from the very beginning, they wanted books which would promote, praise and publish the heritage we belong to. And it was no coincidence that the very first book was about the HMY Iolaire, ‘Call na h-Iolaire.’ After that, books about theology appeared, such as ‘People of the Great Faith,’ modern books like that which were crucial to strengthening the heritage.
[Angus MacDonald – Reporter] It was thought 10 years ago that the age of the book was over, that all reading materials would be available online and that the days of publishing companies were coming to an end.
[Agnes Rennie] That’s not what’s happened at all. The market for books has withstood. It’s almost as if the market for e-books has plateaued which has meant that there is still a demand for both.
[Angus MacDonald – Reporter] Here’s to the next 40 years, whatever may exist then. Angus MacDonald, BBC An Là in Stornoway.