T
his week, Edmonton Public Library has put forth a proposal to install book vending machines in Edmonton’s high traffic areas. Apparently these vending machines would take your library card and dispenses books, DVD’s and whatever else a normal library would carry. The machines already been instituted in several other American and European cities to great fan fare. A recent poll stated that over 70% of people surveyed said that the vending machine was ‘the only form of library they used’.
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I think it is a pretty innovative idea (albeit stolen), especially for an institution like a library which hasn’t been relevant to the average person for almost a decade. In order for libraries to remain significant, they have to adapt. The idea for the machines originated in the San Francisco area by the Contra Costa County Library, where they have become a big success for the fledgling library system.
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I am a pretty avid reader but if I need a book I will probably buy it from Chapters and make use of one of the fifty gift cards I have accumulated. If I need to research something then I’d google it or wikipedia it. Bam, answer right there. Like the average person I am not going out of my way to go to a library. Would I use a book vending machine if I had the chance? Sure I would. That is why I hope Edmonton city council approves the proposed program even at the price tag of an estimated $1.7 million dollars over three years. We are already paying for libraries, I would like to actually use one.
Tags: Book vending machines, EPL, Public library
How about a Netflix type service for Books? I’d be into that. Get the books sent directly to your house and instead of a vending machine have collection boxes all over the city where you can drop them when you’re done.
The home delivery system would be great. The vending machine would be good for Bestsellers. I hope to see these vending machines soon. I wonder where they will place them, LRT Stations, malls and at Univerity and the college ?
Ah found it…here’s the Journal article:
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/story.html?id=aa4c2aa0-15cb-4b46-b599-2394ca8bfed4
I think the machines are ridiculously expensive. Vending machines make sense for companies like Best Buy (they are experimenting with them in airports) but I’m not sure it makes sense for EPL.
The vending machine idea is an interesting one, but I agree with Peter re: a Netflix-style book lending service. I’d gladly pay the $12/year library card fee to get a service like that. In fact, I’d pay more than that. Even upping the cost to $12/month to add a home delivery option to your EPL account would be worth it for people who read a lot of books. Depending on the type of books your read, you’d only have to read between 2-4 books a month for that price to work out to less than you’d pay to buy the books and you’d have the convenience of having them delivered to your house.
Of course, it’s likely that EPL doesn’t have the funding/infrastructure to support such an option, at least not without charging so much for a subscription that it would be unreasonable for most people.
I disagree on one point here – that libraries “[haven't] been relevant to the average person for almost a decade”.
I will admit that there is a decline in the public access of the library, but this is not because of a change in their relevancy. They still serve the same needs that they did a decade ago – that is, a place to find books that you want to read but cannot justify buying. I know I certainly don’t have a large enough budget for all the reading I do – which is why my library card is one of my more valued possessions.
The truth is that a declining use in the public access and use of the library system is not because of they have become too old fashioned (heck, look at the EPL website! It’s okay in terms of design, but the back end they have is actually very impressive, and some of the features they are working to introduce are equally so) but because the general population in North America have stopped reading. (See: http://www.nea.gov/news/news07/TRNR.html From 2007, but the trend has not got better!)
Now, as for this option – I don’t see it working at all.
First off, it can only hold a _very_ limited number of books. Maybe you just throw some bestsellers in there, but that doesn’t make it a true library extension – I use the library to read things that are a little off the beaten path, that I maybe would never have found otherwise. (But perhaps that’s just me…)
Secondly, the cost of doing this is very high! The overhead on the machine is sizeable, and then the maintenance, and restocking – the library is having a fun time as it is – these would just be a headache for them.
As for the home delivery ‘netflix’ style – eh. I can see it working, but this is really just people getting lazy. (sorry all.)
How many physical library buildings do we have in this city? And you’re telling me you can’t find one that’s close to you – you have to get the books mailed to your very doorstep?
The idea is nice in theory – but I don’t really appreciate any ideas that encourages our society to become more inclined to get in their car, go to work, get in their car, drive home, and do nothing else.
I agree, I am very lazy.
I completely agree with you Christian. In order for libraries to remain relevant in society, they must evolve with our technology-obsessed planet. The vending machine concept is unique and efficient and the government should always be encouraging reading especially in schools. Approving this program should be a no-brainer for the Edmonton city council!
i just had to laugh at your admission of using the world wide web’s shining star WIKIPEDIA to do research… did they teach you that technique in school? i’m really only laughing cause i also mentioned wikipedia in my blog the other week, but i was also smart enough to use quotations when the word ‘definition’ followed my acknowledgement of wikipedia as a valuable internet site.
“specially for an institution like a library which hasn’t been relevant to the average person for almost a decade”
What? People do not read books anymore from libraries? People have always checked out books from libraries to read. (hint: they still do)