The OBPO administers the Janice E. Handford Award, given each year in recognition of an individual who has advanced the cause of independent literary Canadian publishing. Established in 1997, past winners include Hamish Cameron, Kristine Murphy, Alana Wilcox, Krystyna Ross, Carolyn Wood, Kirk Howard, Janet Hawkins, Jim Polk, Sheila Koffman, Jack David, Roy Macskimming, Angela Rebeiro, Judy Mappin, Simon Dardick, Tim Inkster, David Caron, Karl Siegler, and Stan Bevington.