Coffee, er, books, anyone?

Your soy latte with a chai chaser is available on practically any corner, but what about food for the mind? Readers may soon have a grab-and-go option for that too: The Espresso Book Machine, which promises to print and bind a requested book in three to five minutes, will be unveiled for the pressThursday morning at the New York Public Library’s Science, Industry and Business Library on Madison Avenue.

The machine was demonstrated earlier this month at BookExpo America, as reported in this column. It’s an intriguing idea: Amazon.com and other such websites gave readers a way to find books more efficiently than just by browsing the shelves in their neighborhood shops (although searching is half the fun, unless you’re in a hurry). Now, the founders of On Demand Books, which has developed the machine, are suggesting in press materials that the device will have the effect of "revolutionizing the publishing industry by eliminating returns, shipping, and inventory."

Thursday’s event for reporters will feature a question-and-answer session with Jason Epstein, co-founder of On Demand Books (the latest accomplishment in his long and illustrious publishing career); Dane Neller, co-founder of On Demand Books and former chief executive of Dean & Deluca; Thor Sigvaldason, chief technology officer of On Demand Books; and Kristin McDonough, director of the public library’s Science, Industry and Business Library.
Nick Owchar