(via) Behold the Biblio-Mat, a sweet vending machine that dispense books for $2 apiece. It was built by Craig Small for The Monkey’s Paw, a small antiquarian bookstore on Dundas Street West in Toronto. The book selections are completely random – with a note on the machine challenging customers to “collect all 112 million titles”.
Biblio-Mat books, which vary widely in size and subject matter, cost two dollars. The machine was conceived as an artful alternative to the ubiquitous and often ignored discount sidewalk bin. When a customer puts coins into it, the Biblio-Mat dramatically whirrs and vibrates as the machine is set in motion. The ring of an old telephone bell enhances the thrill when the customer’s mystery book is delivered with a satisfying clunk into the receptacle below.
Your move, Pulp Fiction.