Espresso Book Machine Takes Paperbacks to Press in the Time it Takes to Order Your Favorite Brew

On January 21, 2007, the first fully functional Espresso Book Machine (EBM) made its debut at the New York Public Library's Science, Industry and Business Library. The patented automatic book making machine prints, binds and provides the book with a laminated full color cover in about seven minutes. The EBM can produce two books simultaneously at an approximate maximum of 550 pages. Books are available in numerous languages and right to left printing is possible.

The machine's manufacturer, On Demand Books, LLC (ODB) is working in partnership with the non-profit, Open Content Alliance, which has compiled and administers a database of over 200,000 titles, to provide printed books from the EBM at no cost. Available choices include public domain titles, "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain, and "Songs of Innocence" by William Blake, for example and some copyrighted works. Visitors to the SIBL can take the Espresso Book Machine for a test run through August, Monday-Saturday during the hours of 1pm-5pm. The SIBL is located at 188 Madison Avenue (at 34th Street).

"Printed books are one of history's greatest and most enduring inventions and after centuries, the form needs no improvement," Jean Epstein, Co-founder of On Demand Books and former Random House executive, stated in a company press release. "What does need to be changed is the outdated way books reach readers." The Espresso Book Machine is a harbinger of such change. It takes print on demand publishing to the next level. Shipping and warehouse storage costs as well as the cost of disposing of overstocked books become nonexistent with the use of the EBM. EBM books come from a digitized file sent to the machine for production using its "proprietary software", making backlisted and previously out of print books widely available when their digital files link with this device.

At an average cost of over $1,000,000 per unit, standard print on demand machines are often beyond the budgets of retailers and libraries. ODB plans to offer their product at prices affordable to these groups. Engadget reported the cost of the machine as $50,000 in December 2006.

This fall, the New Orleans Public Library, the University of Alberta (Canada) campus bookstore, the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, Vermont and the Open Content Alliance in San Francisco will receive their own EBM's. EBM's are already an international affair. The World Bank Infoshop in Washington, D.C. and the Bibliotheca Alexandria (The Library of Alexandria, Egypt), each houses beta versions of the EBM. ODB is talking with various national book retailers, hotel chains and other companies about ordering multiple EBM's.

Sources:
Dane Neller, "First Espresso Book Machine Installed and Demonstrated at New York Public Library's Science Industry and Business Library." PRWeb;Press Release Newswire.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/06/prweb534914.htm

Sarah Weinman, "NYPL Installs First Espresso Book Machine." mediabistro.com:GalleyCat.
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/web_tech/nypl_installs_first_espresso_book_machine_61567.asp

Paul Miller, "The Espresso from On Demand Books brews you up a copy right fresh."Engadget.
http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/21/the-espresso-from-on-demand-books-brews-you-up-a-copy-right-fres/