SIBL Debuts Espresso Book Machine

Version 1.5 of the Espresso Book Machine (EBM), a fully integrated patented book-making machine, is on exhibit at The New York Public Library Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL) through September 7, 2007. SIBL, whose mission is to help spur innovation, agreed to host the Espresso at its midtown location (188 Madison Avenue @ 34th St ) over the summer in order to provide the public with a first opportunity to see a convenient new approach to book publishing and information dissemination demonstrated.

The book machine automatically prints, binds, and trims perfectly bound library quality paperback books within minutes. The EBM is a product of On Demand Books, LLC, founded by publishing executive Jason Epstein and business partner Dane Neller. Product Brochure (PDF)

Library users have the opportunity to print free copies of such public domain classics as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Moby Dick, A Christmas Carol, Songs of Innocence as well as appropriately themed in-copyright titles, such as Chris Anderson’s The Long Tail and Jason Epstein’s own Book Business. The company has access to over 200,000 out-of-copyright files provided by the Open Content Alliance together with approximately 2,200 World Bank titles and Arabic-language texts from the Library of Alexandria, Egypt. For this limited run installation, visitors will select a text of choice from a smaller universe of titles and have it produced for them at no charge.

Titles available during this exhibit at the library:

Abbott, Edwin A., 1884 "Flatland"
Anderson, Chris, 2007, "The Long Tail"
Blake, William, 1902, "Songs of Innocence"
Dalziel, Edward, 1851, "The Story of Jack and the Giants"
Dickens, Charles, 1942, "A Christmas Carol"
Epstein, Jason, 2001, "The Book Business"
Einstein, Albert, 1920, "Relativity, The Special and The General Theory; A
Popular Exposition"
Faulker, William, 1942 "Three Famous Short Novels"
James, Henry, 1892, "An International Episode"
Muller, Herman J., 1958 "Evolution of Mutation (in Bulletin of the American
Mathematical Society)
Potter, Beatrix, 1904, "The Tale of Benjamin Bunny"
Shakespeare, William, 1903, "Shakespeare's Tragedy of Macbeth"
Twain, Mark, 1876, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"

The EBM’s direct-to-consumer model can potentially allow readers anywhere to obtain within minutes, almost any book title in any language, and eliminates both shipping and warehouse costs. These savings permit potentially lower prices to both consumers and libraries, and titles will never go out of print again. The machine requires minimal human intervention and maintenance, and is small enough to fit in a retail store or small library room. The EBM will be available to the public at SIBL through September 7, and will operate Monday through Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

(For more information about the Espresso, contact Dane Neller, 212-966-2222, On Demand Books, LLC 584 Broadway, Suite 1100, NYC 10013.)