While hanging out with some non-print friends earlier this week the subject turned to books. Surveying the heaps of weighty scientific tomes on the desk of one chum, whose job involves something unfeasibly complicated to do with structural molecular biology, I asked whether he could conceive that such volumes would become e-books or be transferred entirely into some sort of online resource. The answer was no, he felt that some of the information he needs as a scientist will always be best delivered in print.
Then I was shown an old first edition Penguin paperback that had subtly rounded corners, so we had a discussion about how such a finish would have been achieved, and why it's not something that features in mass-production books nowadays. It was heartening to witness non-print people being so captivated and curious about it.
Our conversation then turned to on-demand printing, and I explained about the Espresso book machine that's just gone live at a Blackwell store in London. My friends were amazed at this concept, and the idea of having a "proper" book printed while they waited. Judging by the coverage Blackwell has received in the national press over the past couple of days, the store is going to be very busy when the machine goes live next week.
It has novelty value, of course, and there is something appealing about taking away a book that is literally hot off the press. Speaking as someone with a great fondness for small independent bookstores, if this technology becomes accessible to more of them - and if they are able to make suitable arrangements for producing titles that are both in and out of copyright - then such on-demand systems could provide a lifeline for these shops in their struggle against multiples and online retailers. The convenience of online in terms of instant ordering of pretty much anything, combined with the immediacy of not having to wait for your book to be delivered.
It could work, but quality does seem to be an issue. Having noted the comments from Press Minder and Paul Manning on PrintWeek's story, I then read in The Times' report today that the first book produced especially for the newspaper did indeed fall apart. If too many do, then both bookstores and book buyers will lose faith and this venture won't be sustainable. I'm making a diary note to visit Blackwell in six months time to see if the Espresso is as busy at that point as it will undoubtedly be next week.