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January 3, 2007

Would you buy a book from a vending machine?

My colleague, Kay Schlumpf, sent me this rather interesting blog post dated Dec. 24, 2006 from the Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter My burning question is would a book be as satrisfying as a Snickers? Food for thought! (Come on, you knew I couldn’t resist.)

Buy Books from a Vending Machine?
Soon buying a book should be as easy as buying a pack of gum. After several years in development, the Espresso vending machine from On Demand Books is nearly consumer-ready and will debut in 10 to 25 libraries and bookstores in 2007. The New York Public Library is scheduled to receive its machine in February.

Unlike most vending machines, the Espresso does not have an inventory of books inside the device. Instead, it is connected via a high-speed internet connection to the company’s database, where tens of thousands, perhaps soon to be hundreds of thousands, of books are stored in electronic format. When a purchaser inserts money or a charge card into the vending machine and selects a book, the book’s contents are downloaded to the vending machine. Then the vending machine will print, align, mill, glue, and bind the book in less than seven minutes, including full-color laminated covers. It prints in any language and will even accommodate right-to-left texts by putting the spine on the right. It will print any book up to 550 pages. Even larger books can be printed as multiple volumes….MORE

posted by Anna at 2:39 pm |

1 Comment »

1. Comment by Jill, January 5, 2007 @ 11:34 am

   
   

   Check out the video of the book maker.

   
   

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