It has been a popular trend in Japan for decades, now vending machines offering food for thought and stories for the soul through books have arrived in Canada thanks to the Ottawa Public Library. Not every community has access to a fully resourced library nearby, so the idea is to install a set of vending machines stocked with the most popular titles. They work the same as the machines serving snacks, except that users swipe their library cards instead of inserting coins and simply deposit the book back into a return box next to the machine when their loan is done. Testing out the idea as a pilot project, the library has installed the first two machines into the lobby of the Hunt Club/Riverside Community Centre. One machine offers books for younger readers, the other for adults. The both include a mix of library materials including DVDs. Each time you grab a book from the machine it prints off a receipt to remind you of the return date, instead of stamping the book, and users can arrange to place a hold on a specific title and it will be brought in and left at the community centre's reception desk. The Ottawa Citizen has the full story here.