A GIANT STEP FORWARD

FOR PRINT ON DEMAND 

It’s one thing to “speed-read” a book. Many of us have done it. But now it is possible to “speed-publish” your book. Techhnology has taken Print on Demand a giant step beyond with the Expresso  Book Machine, now generating a great deal of new interest. This remarkable invention can produce a complete book within 15 minutes. That means formatting, printing and binding it.  

The New York Public Library has had a machine in operation since mid-2007, but there are only nine in other locations around the world. Just recently Titles, the bookstore at McMasters University completed installation and will officially go into full operation in January. 

Offered by On Demand Books, the target market for the machine is primarily libraries and bookstores, and that has caused some concern among retail booksellers. However, at the present time, the machines that are in operation principally draw on scholarly texts, out of print books and other relatively inaccessible texts. The concern is the future impact on publishing and retailing if interest in this new concept ever escalates and becomes cost-effective for widespread  installation. Ah well, progress never stops…especially in our industry, where innovation and restructuring seem to be today’s watchwords. 
 

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