Will Print-on-Demand Stifle eBooks?

from No Shelf Required by spolanka

There is a really interesting article (with comments) on the TeleRead blog about the Espresso Book Machine. If you remember, UM purchased the Espresso back in October. This new article, written by Court Merrigan, focuses on the machine’s use in bookstores - store front or in one’s closet. It’s big in the UK, with plans to expand the 500,000 title Espresso offering even further if Blackwell can negotiate the rights to in-copyright books.

Merrigan ponders the future of bookstores, amazon, and the impact of POD to the eBook industry. Comments from publishers offer even more ideas and perspectives. One comment, from Michael Pastore, states “This machine could also be deployed in libraries, and help make some money for libraries, which are much in need right now. And independent bookstores might be looking at this machine reverently, as a mechanical messiah.”