The Espresso (or Electronic) Book Machine (EBM), a creation of On Demand Books, is designed for the efficient and worldwide distribution of Print-On-Demand (POD) books. The first EBM was installed and demonstrated in June 2007 at the New York Public Library; today there are over 50 locations worldwide in 10 different countries spanning 5 continents. EBM uses digital files to create physical books that are printed and bound in an astounding 4-minute period. The books can then be shipped same-day or overnight nearly anywhere in the world. The EBM makes it possible for self-published authors, new publishers, or even established publishers’ out-of-print backlists to be available on a global scale within minutes. The video below shows the EBM in action:

The machine’s name originates in the fact that it takes roughly the same amount of time to make a book as it would to make a cup of espresso. Much like digital e-book files, this rapid POD technology eliminates the need for physical inventory, making shelf-space a dying issue. One UK bookstore chain, Blackwell’s, is planning on installing an EBM in each of their 60 UK locations. With print sales on the decline with the rise of e-books, the Espresso Book Machine is keeping printed books thriving in an increasingly digital age.

Links:
http://www.ondemandbooks.com/ – Espresso Book Machine by On Demand Books official website
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espresso_Book_Machine – Espresso Book Machine, Wikipedia

List of EBMs Worldwide (alphabetical by Country)

• University of Melbourne Library – Melbourne, Australia
• DA Information Services – Melbourne , Australia
• Simon Fraser University – Burnaby, BC, Canada
• University of Prince Edward Island Library – Charlottetown, PE, Canada
• University of Alberta Bookstore – Edmonton, AB, Canada
• McMaster University Bookstore – Hamilton, ON, Canada
• Books Inn – Miramichi, NB, Canada
• McGill University Library – Montreal, QC, Canada
• University of Toronto Bookstore – Toronto, ON, Canada
• Oscar’s Art Books – Vancouver, BC, Canada
• University of Victoria Bookstore – Victoria, BC, Canada
• University of Waterloo Bookstore – Waterloo, ON, Canada
• China Publishing Group – Beijing, China
• Juan Bosch Library – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
• Library of Alexandria (3 machines) – Alexandria, Egypt
• Blackwell Bookstore – London, England
• Newsstand UK – London, England
• Books Sanseido (2 machines) – Tokyo, Japan
• American Book Center (2 machines) – The Hague, Netherlands
• Asian Development Bank Bookstore – Manila, Philippines
• Abu Dhabi National Library – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• New York University Abu Dhabi Library – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• University of Michigan Library – Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
• University of Texas Co-Op Bookstore – Austin, TX, United States of America
• Village Books – Bellingham, WA, United States of America
• Harvard Book Store – Cambridge, MA, United States of America
• University of Illinois – Chicago, IL, United States of America
• University of Missouri Bookstore – Columbia, MO, United States of America
• North Dakota State University Bookstore – Fargo, ND, United States of America
• Schuler Books – Grand Rapids, MI, United States of America
• Flintridge Bookstore & Coffeehouse – La Cañada Flintridge, CA, United States of America
• Northshire Bookstore – Manchester Center, VT, United States of America
• McNally Jackson Bookstore – New York, NY, United States of America
• University of Pittsburgh Bookstore – Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
• Brigham Young University Bookstore – Provo, UT, United States of America
• North Carolina State University Bookstore – Raleigh, NC, United States of America
• Boxcar and Caboose Bookshop – Saint Johnsbury, VT, United States of America
• University of Utah Library – Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
• Third Place Books – Seattle, WA, United States of America
• University of Washington Bookstore – Seattle, WA, United States of America
• Riverside County Library Systems – Temecula, CA, United States of America
• University of Arizona Bookstore – Tucson, AZ, United States of America