Angus & Robertson today became the first Australian book chain to
install the Espresso Book Machine (EBM), capable of printing, trimming and
binding a paperback book on demand within minutes.
It was dubbed an "ATM for books" by Time magazine, which last year named it
one of the best inventions of the year.
Shoppers will initially be able to choose from several hundred out-of-print
or difficult to get hold of books, but Angus & Robertson said the range
would expand daily, reaching 10,000 within 18 months. They would cost the
same as the current shelf price of paperbacks or less, the retailer
said.
The EBM is now up and running in Angus & Robertson's Bourke Street store
in Melbourne, but the company said it would have up to 50 machines installed
throughout its Australia and New Zealand network within a year.