Book vending machines deliver literature at the push of a button

In April 2018, The Independent’s Laura Holson published an article explaining how a French publisher, Short Edition, had revived literature through the installment of 30 random book dispensers across the United States. The goal was to deliver fiction at the ‘push of a button’ in places such as universities, transportation hubs and restaurants.

This may sound familiar.

Book vending machines are not new. In fact, many have been implemented throughout the years. In 2016, Adam Boult wrote an article for The Telegraph in which he deemed such machines as the perfect solution for those too busy to visit a bookshop. He believed the machines, which at the time had been established by an independent bookstore BookActually in Singapore, promoted accessibility. And this itself was inspired by a ‘Penguincubator’; a similar machine created in the 1930s by Penguin Books.

Book vending machines are not new. In fact, many have been implemented throughout the years

But although the book vending machine may not be a completely new conceptual design, what makes Short Edition’s take on the creation is. Not only does it promote accessibility like machines before it, and by its placement in areas with large footfall, but it also allows a reader to immerse themselves in the story completely.

What differs between the two ideas is the stories’ length, and the way it is produced and given to the user.

The cylindrical dispenser gives multiple options for the length of the story – one minute, three minutes or five minutes. And when selected, the story is printed onto a long strip of paper similar to that of a receipt, which is both easy to carry and dispose of.

Andrew Nurkin, a deputy director at the Free Library of Philadelphia said: “Everything old is new again. We want people exposed to literature. We want to advance literacy among children and inspire creativity.

“It’s like a literary magazine. You don’t know what you are going to get. Who knows? Maybe you press a button and get a story written by your neighbour.”

The cylindrical dispenser gives multiple options for the length of the story – one minute, three minutes or five minutes

The first kiosk was set up in 2016, and there are now over 150 machines throughout the world. Each costs $9,200, plus an additional fee per month for software and content.

The stories themselves are free and are selected through Short Edition’s writing contests. There are currently 100,000+ submissions in the catalogue. Choice can be tailored to the users interests, such as romance, drama or children’s fiction.

Kristan Leroy, the export director at Short Edition, said: “We want to create a platform for independent artists, like the Sundance institute.

“The idea is to make people happy. There is too much doom and gloom today.”

The stories themselves are free and are selected through Short Edition’s writing contests

Many people have enjoyed the idea, including Francis Ford Coppola, the film director, who placed a dispenser at his Cafe Zoetrope in San Francisco. Public libraries – including Akron, Ohio and Witchita, Kansas – announced earlier this year that they would be installing them also.

It is true to say that in an era that feels constantly on the go, that sometimes it can be difficult to spend time in a library, searching for a book with an appealing premise. It may then also be a challenge to actually complete the entire book before having to return it. Perhaps, the newest dispensers are a solution to this problem for avid readers, and for those who find it hard to give some time to literature even though they wish to.

The expansion of Short Edition’s plan continues, with hopes to utilise Los Angeles International Airport next.