Long Story Books, a new indie bookstore slated to open in late summer in Atlanta, Ga.'s historic Inman Park neighborhood, has installed a book vending machine. It is in the nearby popular Krog District, near the main entrance of Krog Market and just a few blocks from the space the bookstore will occupy, at 717 Edgewood Ave., after construction is completed.
The vending machine is currently featuring new fiction releases, favorites of the staff and owner Kate Kiefer Lee. "It's so easy to change out books, and we're really looking forward to keeping the selection fresh. There are just too many good books! The vending machine is a great way to showcase options for every type of reader, without any barrier to entry," she said.
Kiefer Lee added that the vending machine idea was inspired by both the "Penguincubator" and the "Book-O-Mat" trends from the 1930s and '40s, as well as a reward-token-based machine in her children's public school. The company behind the latter helped the Long Story Books team create a custom machine.
"The vending machine is novel, and it's fun to see people react so positively to it. But most importantly, it meets people where they are and creates another opportunity to enjoy a great story," Kiefer Lee said.