Rox El Installs Book Vending Machine
April 25, 2019 -- Most school buildings across the country have been phasing out vending machines in the interest of student health. But Roxboro Elementary School has just installed one.
This is no ordinary vending machine though. Instead of soft drinks and chips, it is stocked with books.
D&S Vending, located in downtown Cleveland, refurbishes old vending machines for unique purposes. The Roxboro PTA paid for the custom machine and an initial set of new books to fill it. “We’ll eventually use used and donated books,” said PTA member Mary Pat Jolivette. “But we wanted to start with nice new sparkling books.”
The school will distribute “Book Bucks” that will only be usable in the vending machine, which sits in the main first floor hallway. They don't want the Book Bucks to be used as a reward, for grades or attendance or behavior, but simply as an incentive to read. “The idea is ‘You are a reader and you deserve a book’ for your home library,” said Jolivette. Every student will be able to select one book before summer vacation this year and then on a monthly basis starting next year.
Books were purchased in groups of five so that students can read the same title as their friends. “Maybe that will facilitate an organic book club,” said Jolivette. Right now, most of the books are popular fiction works at various reading levels but they intend to switch things out based on the season, month or theme. “We might have all poetry books in April or books about the African American experience in February or adult books for Teacher Appreciation Week,” said Jolivette.
Whichever books the machine is stocked with, it’s surely healthier than Dr. Pepper and Doritos.