The publishing industry has managed to remain stable throughout an increasingly digital age. Even with more tablets and e-readers being carried by Americans as they walk down the sidewalk, there is still a need for physical books.

In fact, the amount of self-published books produced nationally has nearly tripled, growing 287 percent since 2006, according to a new analysis of data from Bowker Books In Print and Bowker Identifier Services. Specifically, the tally now stands at more than 235,000 print and electronic titles.

“Self-publishing is now supported by a sophisticated and highly accessible support structure,” Beat Barblan, director of identifier services for Bowker, said in a press release. “It’s provided everyone who has a story to tell with a method for sharing it and leveled the playing field to an unprecedented degree.”

While this area was once relegated to the shadows of the publishing industry, according to Barblan, it has finally become more mainstream and widely accepted, with large firms dominating the field and offering publishing services to individual authors.

An earlier study by Bowker showed that last year’s 48,424 self-published print books represented about 43 percent of the total print output for 2011. It was also a major contributor to the first significant print expansion since 2007.

Even if a company wants to produce its own material that doesn’t fall into the novel or autobiography categories, it can still ensure that a quality product is created. By investing in binding supplies, a business will have booklets and pamphlets that are a step above papers held together with staples alone.

Additionally, lamination equipment will give a professional look to papers and documents. It will provide protection and ensure that the pages can withstand multiple handlings through any type of presentation.