I cannot tell you how much this made me smile! Thanks to MyModernMet for the story. The Monkey’s Paw, an antiquarian bookshop in Toronto, has built a fabulous vending machine. Put in $2 in quarters and get a book – a random book, any book, a completely unpredictable surprise book! For book lovers, what could be better? Who knows what undiscovered gems might be hiding in the machine?

The Biblio-Mat was built by Craig Small for The Monkey’s Paw. According to the owners, “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.”

You can watch the video below to see how it works. I love the vintage look of the thing and the crazy noises it makes. I would be putting all my quarters in this thing, just to see what might come out.

The BIBLIO-MAT from Craig Small on Vimeo.