Investigating faster techniques for digitization and print-on-demand

This article presents key findings from an investigation entitled Digitization on Demand in Academic Research Libraries. The investigation was carried out in 2010 as part of the Arcadia Fellowship program, exploring the role of academic libraries in the digital age. The original study investigated three technological solutions to perceived problem areas in the digitization workflow. This article is narrower in focus, examining the third area, print-on-demand technologies and their potential role in academic service provision. There is a specific focus upon the Espresso Print-on-demand book printing machine. The article includes findings from a limited survey into potential demand from faculty and library staff. In concludes that while the benefits from introducing such a service could be high, they must be viewed in the context of high start-up costs. This situation can perhaps be viewed as a microcosm of the problems surrounding many library service innovations in general.