Book Vending Machine

Ok, I was at a loss of where to place this, but seeing as this is the greatest technology I have seen since the printing press . . . I decided to drop this here. Mods . . . of course, feel free to move this somewhere more appropriate if you feel you must.

Without further ado, I give you Book Vending Machines. I mean what more could you possibly ask for? When bookstores and libraries are all closed but you just need a new book to wrap your hands around . . . there is always a vending machine.

The first one is your standard run-of-the-mill vending machine in Singapore and you can go get your fix at a box instead of a store.
Book Vending Machine

The second is a twist on the whole "Little Free Library" things. They are being put in inner-cities by Jet Blue in order to encourage reading.
Soar With Reading

The third is similar in that it is free, but it just spits out short stories between 1 & 4 minutes long and is in France.
Short Story Machine

The final one is a German masterpiece and my personal favorite. It allows you to exchange unwanted christmas gifts for one of 7 books.
Book Swap

a reply to: JDeLattre89

I love the idea. I don't see libraries closing soon, though bookstores close much too often.

Libraries will stay open because they diversify, offering DVDs to check out, and some local libraries Hotspot s and ebook, audio book downloads.

While I love the idea of book vending machine, in the digital age I don't see it with cheaper, less overhead downloads. The only route would be renting, which again wouldn't work with slow turn around.

I say all of this because this site is the most amazing tool for bouncing ideas. Kudos for your intentions, maybe you can refine the idea into something beautiful, I didn't wanna shoot it down, just offer my perspective, which may be wrong.

Ok, so you obviously didn't click the link. .. but you could have at least read the descriptions.

2 of them are free to promote literacy, one is an exchange program for unwanted gifts (that are given to charities), and the other is a true vending machine.

a reply to: JDeLattre89

Sorry, I did skim it and didn't take in everything. But again, with devices being incredibly cheap, tablets mainly.

Books will be logistically cheaper to ship in the form of digital memory, especially if the Facebook satellite provided Internet to Africa to lay grounder work for efficient delivery of information. Especially communication.

a reply to: CriticalStinker

Yeah, but there will always be books, and to provide them to kids who don't get to read anything. Well I'm ALL for that.

a reply to: JDeLattre89

As I said me too. Again, just pointing out my perspectives, which may be wrong.

I'm old school and love nothing more than to hold a real book in my hand.

I got three books for my Birthday!
They are fat and awesome. They smell and feel good and I have been falling asleep with one on my chest the past three nights.

A lot of rural phoneboxes have been converted (across the UK) into mini book swapping booths as well as holding defibrillators.
i have also seen one where the villagers were using it to swap small plants and vege too.

edit to add - I love a real book too although when on holiday an e-reader is handy as don't want to use all luggage space and weight with physical books

a reply to: JDeLattre89

I have long been of the view that apart from fresh fruit and vegetables and clothes, there is very little in any shop that cannot be sold out of vending machines.

Although i'm not much of a book worm,, i like the idea that i could just get a book from one of these machines.

a reply to: Azureblue

I actually got clothes from a vending machine in Paris before.

originally posted by: JDeLattre89
a reply to: Azureblue

I actually got clothes from a vending machine in Paris before.

I rest my case

I see a time in the near future when nearly all the retail industry will be automated. There will big long buildings which will look something like airports with any where truck 4-5 trailers to 50 -60 all backed up and hooked to the big vending machine.

People will select their goods using touch screens showing product. When this happens I see that 80 - 90% of the retail workforce disappearing within 5 -10 years of the big vending machines starting.

Selection from home may also eliminate personal attendance and home delivery by robot cars will also occur in due course.

Where this kind of automation will end I dont know and I doubt it will end. Put the resulting obsolescence of workers along side the depopulation agenda and what have we got?

The only alternative to this is as I see it, is for govts to take back their (ours actually) right to create money out of thin air using the same method the banks do, and paying many people not to work.

Apart from 'depopulating' the huge numbers of people put out of work by automation and robots, the only solution, as i see it, is to pay some people not work.