08.11.39: THE DEMAND for printed works of all kinds has contributed to a worldwide scarcity of
paper and a steep increase in its price.
The shortage is being exacerbated by the closure of mills in deference to the environmentalist lobby
even as demand for paper continues to rise.
A communications expert said: "Information on paper tends to endure in a way that electronically
stored information does not."
Tiny niche publishing houses proliferate as consumers demonstrate their appetite for beautiful books.
Thomas A Kaplan of The Library, a chain of book galleries in New York, Beijing and London, said: "This
is also about life and death. There is a demand for imagery and thought that can outlast the fleeting
outpourings of electronic information."
He plans to expand his stock of newspapers and magazines. Customers can enrol in paper-making and
bookbinding courses, or get help in gathering a non-electronic library at home.
But, like all booksellers, Kaplan still makes most of his profits online. "We don't want to upset the
environmentalists too much," said Kaplan. "So we charge only a tiny fee to customers when they
exchange books online in our swaps market." JM
