Y took these photos of this cool automatic book lending machine that has a computer catalog and a robotic book retrieval system. With a Taipei Public Library card, a patron can walk up to this machine, browse the available titles, and checkout a book that is served immediately. It’s kind of like a miniature library outpost or a bookmobile with its wheels removed. It’s a vending machine for borrowing and returning books.
The books are stored individually on numbered racks within a carousel.
The FastBook machine pulls the book from its shelf and dispenses it through an orange chute to the right of the carousel. Books can be returned as well through a blue chute further to the right.
I can imagine how a less flashy version could be installed almost anywhere–something like a RedBox kiosk for books instead of DVDs and BluRays. Even in areas where many folks might not identify as readers, a device that makes books easy and freely available to borrow might encourage more reading. And, with it offering physical books instead of eBooks, it might help lower the bottom line of already financially strained libraries.
A Google search for “library book vending machines” turns up at least one scaled down option called the Lending Library Kiosk by International Library Services. D-Tech offers lendIT. Library Media Specialist Amanda Hunt offers some more details about library book vending machines here.
Baruch College, part of the City University of New York, has a book loan kiosk system installed.
JetBlue installed six free book vending machines around New York City in 2019 (I wonder if they still exist).
I don’t know about you, but I wish there had been something like this when I was a kid. The novelty of it would have encouraged me to read more books from the library than I did!
UPDATE: If you’re interested in why some of us find vending machines fascinating even over 100 years after their introduction, check out this Bored Panda listicle featuring Dr. Lisa Yaszek, Regents Professor of Science Fiction Studies at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
