--- title: This Vending Machine Dispenses Random Books description: This Vending Machine Dispenses Random Books image: https://blog.vendinggroup.com/hubfs/9F74B0FF-3B79-4146-8576-05FB34AA290F.png --- [![logo.png](https://blog.vendinggroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/site/logo/logo.png?width=80&height=65&name=logo.png "logo.png")](https://www.vendinggroup.com) [** ** ](https://twitter.com/Vending_Group) [** ** ](https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vending-Group/174125279274403) [** ** ](https://plus.google.com/103512082635347214863) [Customer Service](https://www.vendinggroup.com/industry-leading-customer-service) ### *Office Vending Services | Beverage & Snack Machines* view our [service areas](https://www.vendinggroup.com/service-areas) - [Services](https://www.vendinggroup.com/soda-and-snack-vending-machines) - [Beverage & Snack Vending](https://www.vendinggroup.com/soda-and-snack-vending-machines) - [Healthy Vending](https://www.vendinggroup.com/fresh-healthy-vending) - [Coffee Services](https://www.vendinggroup.com/coffee-services) - [Vending Management](https://www.vendinggroup.com/national-vending-management-services) - [Micro Markets](https://www.vendinggroup.com/micro-markets) - [Pantry Delivery](https://www.vendinggroup.com/pantry-delivery) - [Vended Laundry](https://www.vendinggroup.com/vended-laundry) - [Stockwell](https://www.vendinggroup.com/stockwell) - [Office Water Solutions](https://www.vendinggroup.com/office-water-solutions) - [Massage Chair Vending](https://get.vendinggroup.com/vending-massage-chair) - [Coke Machines](https://www.vendinggroup.com/coke-machines) - [Pepsi Machines](https://www.vendinggroup.com/pepsi-machines) - Resources - [Blog](https://blog.vendinggroup.com) - [What is Vending Management?](https://www.vendinggroup.com/vending-management) - [Full-Service Vending Machines](https://www.vendinggroup.com/full-service-vending-machines) - [Vending Machine Size Guide](https://www.vendinggroup.com/coca-cola-vending-machine-size-guide) - [Customer Service](https://www.vendinggroup.com/industry-leading-customer-service) - Flavor Choices - [Coke Machine Flavors](https://www.vendinggroup.com/coke-machine-flavors) - [Pepsi Machine Flavors](https://www.vendinggroup.com/pepsi-machine-flavors) # Learning ## This Vending Machine Dispenses Random Books [fa icon="clock-o"] Aug 15, 2016, 8:00:00 PM [fa icon="user"] [Vending Group](https://blog.vendinggroup.com/author/vending-group) When most people [get a vending machine for the offic](https://vendinggroup.com)e, they usually want one that sells drinks or snacks. Not [The Monkey's Paw](http://www.monkeyspaw.com/the-biblio-mat/). This used bookstore has a machine that sells books. Unlike the previous book vending machine [we blogged about before](https://www.vendinggroup.com/blog/article/book-vending-machine-introduced-singapore), this one is a little more mysterious. The Biblio-Mat, as the machine is named, vends randomly selected old books. Stephen Fowler, owner of The Monkey's Paw, came up with the idea to get the attention of people who might otherwise ignore the discount book bins in the store. But it was Craig Small, a designer and animator, who brought it to life.         The machine is housed in an old storage locker and the books are loaded into columns, which then rise when money is inserted. The top book, resting at a 45 degree angle, then dispenses for the customer to retrieve. A laser tripwire keeps the column from rising further to prevent more books being dispensed. Much like a traditional vending machine, the Biblio-Mat features a computer processor to detect the size of the coins inserted.  Since its debut, this unique vending machine has garnered much attention from many people, including Neil Gaiman and Margaret Atwood. [![Vending Group Coffee Big banner](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2491373/interactive-190905827635.png) ](https://blog.vendinggroup.com/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLLnaghlOu8iKfKwoaPY3M%2BY2ur6iMHZE7%2B7vJPQFGyhB7UWgIcqsyYubf28inVoXMRds4uXOAdUZXkcFYl153VBTyzdfwSwd5KNftmdW8%2FKgE9XoVJZd0I3t6%2BdzsXmkXOUdL%2FK1cshtpa8DkMwuS0kL5H6Wp6bWiAy6fAd4mnyraMXy9mCfJvrMBAbUS7M&webInteractiveContentId=190905827635&portalId=2491373)   ## Frequently Asked Questions About Book Vending Machines ### What is the Biblio-Mat? The Biblio-Mat is a unique vending machine that dispenses randomly selected old books. It was created to attract attention to discount book bins in a used bookstore called The Monkey's Paw. ### How does the Biblio-Mat work? The machine is housed in an old storage locker and loads books into columns that rise when money is inserted. The top book is dispensed at a 45-degree angle, and a laser tripwire prevents more than one book from being dispensed at a time. ### Who designed the Biblio-Mat? The idea was conceived by Stephen Fowler, owner of The Monkey's Paw, and brought to life by Craig Small, a designer and animator. ### What technology does the Biblio-Mat use to accept payment? The Biblio-Mat features a computer processor that detects the size of the coins inserted, similar to traditional vending machines. ### Why was the Biblio-Mat created? It was created to get the attention of people who might otherwise ignore the discount book bins in the store, making the experience of buying used books more engaging and fun. ### Has the Biblio-Mat received any notable attention? Yes, since its debut, the Biblio-Mat has attracted attention from many people, including well-known authors Neil Gaiman and Margaret Atwood. - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ![Vending Group](https://blog.vendinggroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/site/logo/logo.png?width=100&height=100&name=logo.png) #### Written by [Vending Group](https://blog.vendinggroup.com/author/vending-group) ### Check Available Solutions for Your Location ### Subscribe to Email Updates - Recent - Popular - Categories ### Lists by Topic - [Vending Management (98)](https://blog.vendinggroup.com/topic/vending-management) - [Vending Machines (91)](https://blog.vendinggroup.com/topic/vending-machines) - [Customer Experience (68)](https://blog.vendinggroup.com/topic/customer-experience) - [Products (49)](https://blog.vendinggroup.com/topic/products) - [Workplace (33)](https://blog.vendinggroup.com/topic/workplace) - [Hospitality (29)](https://blog.vendinggroup.com/topic/hospitality) - [Multifamily Housing (20)](https://blog.vendinggroup.com/topic/multifamily-housing) - 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[Hospitality (29)](https://blog.vendinggroup.com/topic/hospitality) - [Laundry (1)](https://blog.vendinggroup.com/topic/laundry) - [Logistics & Warehousing (13)](https://blog.vendinggroup.com/topic/logistics-warehousing) - [Massage Chairs (4)](https://blog.vendinggroup.com/topic/massage-chairs) © 2012 - 2026 Vending Group, Inc. - [Services](https://www.vendinggroup.com/soda-and-snack-vending-machines) - [Coke Machines](https://www.vendinggroup.com/coke-machines) - [Pepsi Machines](https://www.vendinggroup.com/pepsi-machines) - Resources ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://blog.vendinggroup.com/this-vending-machine-dispenses-random-books#blogposting", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "about" : [ { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Book Vending Machine", "sameAs" : "https://blog.vendinggroup.com/this-vending-machine-dispenses-random-books" }, { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "The Monkey's Paw Bookstore" }, { "@type" : "Thing", "name" : "Biblio-Mat" } ], "articleSection" : [ "Vending Machines", "Book Vending", "Retail Innovation", "Coin-operated Devices" ], "author" : { "@id" : "https://www.vendinggroup.com/#organization", "@type" : "Organization", "name" : "Vending Group", "url" : "https://www.vendinggroup.com" }, "dateModified" : "2024-06-06T00:00:00-06:00", "datePublished" : "2016-08-16T00:00:00-06:00", "description" : "This Vending Machine Dispenses Random Books", "hasPart" : { "@type" : "WebPageElement", "cssSelector" : ".faq-box", "isAccessibleForFree" : true }, "headline" : "This Vending Machine Dispenses Random Books", "image" : "https://2491373.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/2491373/9F74B0FF-3B79-4146-8576-05FB34AA290F.png", "inLanguage" : "en-US", "isAccessibleForFree" : true, "keywords" : [ "book vending machine", "Biblio-Mat", "vending machine books", "The Monkey's Paw bookstore", "random books vending", "used book vending machine", "coin operated machine", "Stephen Fowler", "Craig Small", "book vending technology" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.vendinggroup.com/this-vending-machine-dispenses-random-books#webpage", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "mentions" : [ { "@type" : "Organization", "name" : "The Monkey's Paw", "url" : "http://www.monkeyspaw.com/the-biblio-mat/" }, { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Stephen Fowler" }, { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Craig Small" }, { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Neil Gaiman" }, { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Margaret Atwood" } ], "publisher" : { "@id" : "https://www.vendinggroup.com/#organization", "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.vendinggroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Vendinggroup_October2016_Theme/images/logo-2x.png" }, "name" : "Vending Group", "sameAs" : [ "https://vendinggroup.com", "https://blog.vendinggroup.com", "https://get.vendinggroup.com", "https://www.linkedin.com/company/vending-group", "https://twitter.com/vendinggroup", "https://www.instagram.com/vending_group" ], "url" : "https://www.vendinggroup.com" }, "url" : "https://blog.vendinggroup.com/this-vending-machine-dispenses-random-books" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://blog.vendinggroup.com/this-vending-machine-dispenses-random-books#faq", "@type" : "FAQPage", "mainEntity" : [ { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The Biblio-Mat is a unique vending machine that dispenses randomly selected old books. 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