There has been much discussion recently about the definition of 'in print and 'out of print' in a world where one copy of a book can be printed at a time. That debate will, I suspect, run and run until everyone gets tired. What is much more important is the technology development itself. I was delighted to see this press release last week.

The New York Public Library has installed an on-demand printing machine in its Science, Industry and Business section where library users will be able to print out-of-copyright works for free. This is what the machine (an Espresso) looks like.

It's too big. It's too expensive. It's too slow. It's too limited. I'm sure it's too noisy. But later versions will be smaller, faster, cheaper. The advantages are huge. With the help of publishers digitising their material and making them available readers will be able to find, create and read a vastly larger selection of books. Physical distribution costs will be reduced significantly. Authors will be paid via a licence fee and a new income stream opened up to them. Libraries themselves might decide to use this to generate income for themselves and thus be able to fund more purchases for their traditional collections.  

And the machines need not be restricted to libraries. Why not have machines installed in large bookshops - or even small bookshops as the prices drop.

In a perfect world, returns could be virtually eliminated saving trees, energy and money. This is a huge opportunity for transformation of our industry. For it to to become more concrete we need publishers to invest more rapidly in their digitisation and storage programmes; authors and their agents to cease fretting about the issues surrounding rights reversion; libraries and booksellers to take a few risks while the technology develops; and the industry to work together to develop  a new and equitable business model.

Not much to ask...