The Mizzou Bookstore fired up its new Expresso Book Machine Thursday in its first full day open to the public. The machine, created by a Missouri S&T graduate, allows anyone to print a book for about six cents a page in just about five minutes. KBIA's Teryn Schaefer reports. You can't miss the new Expresso Book Machine when you walk into the MU bookstore. The machine looks like an oversized copier attached to a clear box full of wheels, knobs, nuts and bolts, all directed by a computer monitor. Mechanical Engineering student Nic Maglio demonstrates how the new machine works.

"It's just one button, print next. Then the book will start printing, the cover and the content will print. And then once its all printed we will press one more button and it will bind it and print it."

It's only a two step process. Authors can download their works on the bookstore's website, where they can also choose from an array of templates for their piece. Michelle Froese, Public Relations and Manager of Student and Auxiliary Services says many authors have come in with a variety of ideas from a student's blog, to a playwright's scripts, a dissertation, or an account of a family's history through 25 generations. She says one of the most interesting ideas came from a local resident.

"He is a World War two veteran. He has a typewritten manuscript of his recollections of being in the military. And he and his daughter are going to work with Mizzou Media to figure out how they can format it so he can actually print that as a book. What a lovely recollection for his family to be able to do that."

The machine can also print photographs and artwork. It's one of only four in the nation at a university campus. It's available for anyone to use during regular bookstore hours. © Copyright 2012, KBIA