Los Angeles, CA – May 30, 2003 – Oce, a leading provider of production-class digital printing solutions, announced today that it is spearheading an innovative approach to teaching students about writing and publishing. Twenty seven students in an Atlanta fifth grade class become published authors as they have their jointly-written novel printed, for the first time at BookExpo America, in booth #2937, using the Océ Digital Book Manufacturing Solution. When the students in Ms. Jennifer Lovejoy's fifth grade Language Arts class at Hillside Elementary School in Roswell, Georgia set out to author their own book, little did they know that they'd learn about more than reading, writing, and research. With the successful conclusion of the ambitious project, they have become true authors of a novel and have been introduced to Océ’s innovative digital technology, as well as the business processes that power modern book publishing. Armed with a mini-grant from Georgia's Fulton County, Lovejoy and her fifth grade class initiated the book production project in September 2002, and completed authoring the book in May 2003. The purpose of the project was to improve the quality of student writing and editing, strengthen keyboarding skills, teach students how to combine dialogue and narration to write and produce a complete novel, and to use technology to create a publishing format. When the time came to produce the book, the class turned to Océ Printing Systems USA, Inc., a leader in the book publishing industry. Recognizing the importance of supporting innovative ways of teaching children about book authoring, printing, and publishing, Océ is proud to sponsor the printing and publishing of "Mystery at Hillside", the student's first novel, written by children for children. The book will be printed, for the first time, in Océ Booth #2937 at the 2003 BookExpo America show, May 29 through June 1 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. BookExpo America is the premier venue for booksellers, publishers, librarians and rights professionals involved in the business of authoring and selling books. Perfect Bound Books from Digital Book Manufacturing As a Hillside Elementary School partner in education, Océ is sponsoring the innovative publishing curriculum by digitally producing the books on the Océ VarioStream 7650cx Twin digital printing system at the show, using Océ PRISMAproduction pre-press and workflow management software. Standard Hunkeler pre- and post-processing equipment is being used to unwind the paper from a roll and sheet it after its been printed. Individual book blocks are then made into perfect bound books using a Standard Horizon four-clamp perfect binding system. The Océ VarioStream 7650cx, the premier printer in the revolutionary VarioStream 7000 family, is the centerpiece of the Océ Digital Book Manufacturing Solution, at Booth 2937. The Océ Digital Book Manufacturing solution provides book manufacturers and publishers with advanced technology to dynamically match book quantities to end user demand, providing a powerful and cost-effective, short-run digital book production solution. With this solution, book publishers can cost-effectively improve lifecycle efficiency, expand editorial choices, and reduce risk—while lowering costs across the entire book production process. Océ Is Committed Partner in Education The book project began with the entire class engaging in a brainstorming session to develop a story line for a mystery novel entitled, "Mystery at Hillside." Before writing began, students produced three separate outlines. Ms. Lovejoy then provided the class with an overview of each chapter to ensure a fluid and cohesive plot. Next, the class was divided into groups, each working collectively on individual chapters. Students learned about rules of writing, editing, illustration, pre-press activities such as scanning, developed cover designs and finally, prepared digital files for printing. According to Lovejoy, "This is an extraordinary accomplishment for the children to look back on and realize that they can achieve something big even while they are still young. Hillside Elementary is proud to have Océ Printing Systems USA, Inc. as a partner in education and extends its thanks to the company for graciously donating the printing of the book to the school and making publication of the book possible." The sponsorship and underwriting of the project by Océ Printing Systems underscores the company's larger commitment to the requirements of both the book publishing and educational markets. Reflecting the tenets of President George Bush's "No Child Left Behind" initiative, which seeks to enrich the education of American school children with innovative learning tools that include technology, the program combines the resources of both the educational and corporate worlds to provide a unique learning experience. With Océ's participation, the book publishing program introduces children not only to reading and writing but also the business processes and exciting digital technologies that are being employed to produce books and get new titles and authors to market in a cost-effective manner. Océ Printing Systems USA, Inc. is the leading provider of production-class printing solutions—the trusted business partner that experts count on. Océ hardware, software, and professional and support services deliver the rock solid reliability, application versatility, and cost-effective performance that define production class—from the commercial plant and copy facility to the corporate data center and office workplace.