CHICAGO, Oct. 15 -- Delphax Technologies Inc., a global provider of high-speed digital printing and publishing systems, today reported surpassing the production goal for the total number of classic books produced during the Graph Expo trade show this week as part of its "Books For Schools" program. The books are being donated to the Chicago Public Schools. The consortium of industry leaders participating in the program produced over 5,000 books in just the first day and a half of Graph Expo. This year's "Books For Schools" partnership was committed to donate a minimum of 5,000 books to the Chicago Public Schools produced over the course of the entire four-day show. By the close of the show, over 100 miles of paper had been run producing books and samples. "This performance is particularly impressive and gratifying," noted Bob VandenBoom, marketing director of Delphax, "since we were running this production line, not in a pressroom environment, but in the middle of a trade show as we simultaneously demonstrate the system and its components to prospects, and produce complete books to meet the high demand for samples." Kevin Mitchell, vice president sales and marketing for Delphax, said, "Thanks to the flawless operation of our CR2000 digital web press and all of the participating partners' equipment comprising the 'Books For Schools' production line, we are delighted to confirm that we significantly exceeded the promised number of donated books." At Monday's Delphax press briefing, Dr. Tariq Butt of the Chicago Board of Education commented on how important the donated classic books will be for a variety of programs throughout the school system. "Providing students with exposure to great classic literature helps achieve our goal of providing the kind of rich and intellectually stimulating educational experience that makes a difference in the lives and potentially longer-term educational and career goals of these students," he said. Approximately 475 students from various Chicago schools plan to visited the "Books For Schools" exhibit at Graph Expo as part of the Graphic Arts Show Company's career day activities. The students were able to watch first hand the production of the books they will be receiving. In addition to the Delphax CR 2000 digital web press, the "Books For Schools" production line includes an impressive array of equipment and contributed resources from other industry leaders including Glatfelter; Keene Technology, Inc.; Stralfors, Inc.; MBO America; Palamides; Shuttleworth, Inc.; Muller-Martini Corp.; Xeikon America, Inc.; and GBC. Each of these companies is playing a key role in helping Delphax produce "Books For Schools." Among the classic novels printed during the show: Nathaniel Hawthorne's "House of Seven Gables"; Daniel Defoe's "Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe"; Homer's "The Odyssey"; and Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". The ongoing "Books For Schools" program has already produced and delivered over 20,000 books to inner-city schools in New York, Chicago, and Minneapolis. A short history of the program and participating partner companies can be found at http://www.ondemandbooksforschools.com .