At the Tame The Web blog, Ben Lainhart talks about Print On Demand services and how they can be used to make libraries more of a content creation laboratory than a content consumption warehouse. This is a grand idea – but the use of a very expensive Print On Demand machines isn’t necessary. After reading Walt Crawford’s most recent book, The Librarian’s Guide To Micropublishing, (disclaimer – I contributed a “blurb” to the cover of the book, but I have no financial stake in the book whatsoever – other than wishing my friend Walt well), there are many, many ways that a library can support content creation without investing a crazy amount of money to do so. From following Walt’s advice on self-publishing support for patrons to setting up a media creation station with a Mac and some hardware and software, libraries can do a lot to support their patrons in both consuming and creating content at the library.
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