Espresso Book Machine

A weekend trip to Santa Cruz uncovered a neat bit of intellectual property-related technology:

The patented Espresso Book Machine^® (EBM) makes a paperback book in minutes, at point of need. Through its EspressNet^® digital catalog of content, books can be ordered online or onsite at bookstores, libraries, and non-bookstore retailers. Over seven million in-copyright and public-domain titles are available on the network. The technology is also ideal for self and custom publishing.

So if you wander into a bookstore (in this case Bookshop Santa Cruz) and the book you want isn't available but it has either a) entered the public domain (i.e. the author passed away 50+ years ago) or b) the book shop has a license to the material, then a few simple clicks, 15 minutes, and a reasonable fee gets you a professional-looking paperback edition of your desired title.

For authors, Espresso Book Machine allows you to self-publish, print, and make available to potential consumers.

What a great idea. Espresso Book Machines are environmentally friendly, increases access to creative works, and supports independent publishing.

There's apparently one in Toronto, at the University of Toronto bookstore as well as all over the United States and the world.

First week rundown

Our first week of the placement was a bit of a whirlwind to say the least. We flew in the day of a football game between Stanford and the University of Southern California which explained why almost every hotel in the university area had been booked a month in advance (we eventually settled in at the Stanford Guest House which is actually more like the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center Guest House). Unfortunately* the game was just about over by the time we arrived at the stadium but we did get to watch a water polo game the next day.

*Or not. As someone who had an entire conversation with someone about the "Senators" thinking he meant the upper house of Parliament, I'm not sure I was entirely ready to experience the full force of American college sports fanaticism. 

Campus Tour

Sunlit and covered in palm trees, bicycles, and tourists, Stanford looks friendly and inviting. We took a walking tour of the 8,180 acre-campus and learned a little about the history of the university. Stanford's official name is Leland Stanford Junior University, after California senator Leland Stanford's son who passed away as a teen from typhoid fever. Stanford is also often called "the Farm" having been a stock farm before the school was built. 

Every other building had an interesting story (I won't recount them all here) that our tour guide patiently divulged. One of the campus landmarks is Hoover Tower, a library/archival collection founded by Stanford alumnus and later 31st president of the United States, Herbert Hoover. 

Hoover Tower

The view from Hoover Tower's observational platform. The building with the blue triangle is the J. Henry Meyer Memorial Library.