Janet McCarthy

Frank Romano isn't shy. In fact, Rochester Institute of Technology's chairman of the School of Printing has never been hesitant about putting speeches where his beliefs are. And at BookTech's 2002 conference and expo, he was true to form. During the show's keynote address, Romano argued the provocative case between Random House and RosettaBooks, first as a signal that digital content is becoming increasingly popular, and second, as a way to compare print with e-media. "What's the difference between an e-book and an e-magazine?" Romano asked. "They're both packaged information delivered in some form to you. A Web site is

Some make a splash. Others won't tear. For swimmers who need to read workout guides in the pool or publishers wishing to avoid damage from freight distribution, durable papers are unique alternatives to traditional stock. Added to the staple of synthetic and super-substrates on the market, some publishers have even invested in water-proof materials to ensure that the books they produce survive in less traditional reading environments. The waterproof materials, though rare compared to a non-synthetic such as TruTech, are examples of how diverse book market concepts can be applied to multiple projects. As a result, future readers, who may be chin-deep in the