When it comes to rural library services, usually the books have to come to you via, say, a bookmobile or, in very remote locations, biblioburro.  However, in Polk County, Florida, residents can drive to the books.  At Polk Outpost 27 Tourism Center, people with a valid library card can check out DVDs and books from the Polk County Library via vending machine.  How amazing is that?!  Vending machine library books and DVDs at the touch of a button and the scan of a library card!

“It just worked out great that we could help provide library services for people up in this part of the county,” said Outpost 27’s Hank Longo.

The system is actually ingenious.  The library card gets swiped and residents select the book or DVD of their choice.  A computer system monitors the books, so that librarians know when they have to come out and resupply the book machine.  Residents can only have out three vending machine books at a time, and only for three weeks at a time.  It’s like a high-tech version of the library in a phone booth!

Tags: Polk County, Florida, library book vending machine, library books kept in vending machines, library vending machine, vending machine for library books, unusual vending machines, Polk Outpost 27 Tourism Center, Hank Longo

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