Per this report in New York Magazine, McNally Jackson Books will soon have an Espresso Book Machine. John Turner, a buyer for the store confirms the rumor and reports that he’ll be running the thing. Will this make him a ‘book barista’?
There aren’t a whole lot of books available for it now, but imagine this future:
As of now, in addition to “millions” of public-domain books, the machine can only access about 175,000 backlist titles (you’d need to sell a couple thousand copies a year to make it worth your while). But millions of books are being digitized, and, Neller says he’ll have them soon enough. He’s talking to lots of chains, and not just bookstores. “Imagine libraries being a place where you can get books [that is, more books] and Staples, Kinko’s, coffee shops.” In two years, he says, “We’ll be having a different conversation.”
Read the New York article here.