[WEB4LIB] RE: Books on Demand

[Jerry Kuntz]

The website cited below concentrates on the binding aspect, which--as far as libraries are concerned--may be the most factor in Print on Demand.
Our local Barnes & Noble had a Print on Demand machine running more than a year ago, but from what I saw of the bindings then, they were totally inadequate for repeat library use.
The production-scale binding machines I've seen depicted fill large rooms and cost hundreds of thousands, so if someone has invented a better mousetrap, more power to them...(I'll believe it when I see one standing up to heavy circ traffic).
On the other hand, how much worse can the bindings be than some that are produced now by some of the major publishers?


---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Robin Zalben <Robin.Zalben at alverno.edu>
Reply-To: Robin.Zalben at alverno.edu
Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2001 09:16:26 -0700 (PDT)

>I think the best area for this is Large Print Books...if these machines
>could do large print, then the visually impaired wouldn't be stuck with
>Bestsellers, Westerns and Romances!!!
>
>Robin
>
>Robin Zalben	
>PC Specialist	
>Alverno College
>Milwaukee, WI
>	
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Daniel Messer [mailto:dmesser at yvrls.lib.wa.us]
>Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2001 9:48 AM
>To: Multiple recipients of list
>Subject: [WEB4LIB] Books on Demand
>
>
>Good morning, one and all!
>
>While reading one of my favorite geek news sites, Slashdot
>(www.slashdot.org), I came across a little article about books on
>demand. Bacially, what this entails is a machine purchased by your local
>bookstore that can literally make a book while you wait. You ask for a
>book, the store checks its database, if the book is in the database then
>the cashier sends the information to the machine which goes to work
>printing, cutting, and binding your book. The technology is being
>developed by a rust belt engineer and the man who invented the high
>quality trade paperback.
>
>I'd hate to say that this is the "wave of the future" since a lot of
>people said e-books are the "wave of the future" despite dismal sales
>and inflated prices. But this is certainly intriguing. If anyone is
>interested at all, here's the website with the full story.
>
>http://www.business2.com/ebusiness/2001/07/perfectbook_machine.htm
>
>Have a good one!
>Dan
>
>--
>Mondai wa
>The subject in queston...
>---
>Daniel Messer
>Technologies Instructor
>Yakima Valley Regional Library
>102 N 3rd St  Yakima, WA 98901
>(509) 452-8541 x712
>dmesser at yvrls.lib.wa.us
>---
>On your mark, bokura ga
>soredemo yamenai no wa
>yume no shamen miagete (itsuka wa)
>yuke-sou na ki ga suru kara
>     Chage & Asuka "On Your Mark"
>
>

--
Jerry Kuntz
Electronic Resources Consultant
Ramapo Catskill Library System
jkuntz at rcls.org
Author, KidsClick! Web Searching Skills Guide, http://www.neal-schuman.com/db/3/173.html
--