[WEB4LIB] diskette vending machine

[Judy Myers]

One idea I've heard, and that we are trying to get our vending-machine
contractor to try here, is to use the standard snack machine that has the
vend items ejected by a metal spiral. When an item is purchased, the spiral
turns and pushes the front item off of the rack. We've heard that some
sites (not necessarily libraries) have just set 3 1/2" floppies (in
sandwich bags to keep the crumbs and chocolate off of them, or a 3-pack in
a thin box) in place of the snacks and that has worked.

That way, the vending company would supply and maintain the machine. They
would also be responsible for pricing and re-stocking.

I also heard of one place, many years ago, that used a vending machine in
which the snacks hang from the metal spirals (through a hole in the
packaging), and again put the floppy disks in bags with a hole in the top
and hung those on the spiral. I think this type of machine is not often
used these days, but if that is the type you happen to have, and you can
convince your vendor to try it, it should work too.

Sincerely,



At 11:49 AM 6/8/99 -0700, you wrote:
>Hi everybody,
>
>I did my homeworks and I checked the archives.  But I would like to know if
>somebody have another name of a company (+ contact info) selling diskette
>vending machine different than the one mentionned Thu, 9 May 1996
>
>We think that the product mentionned in the archives of Web4Lib is a little
>costly (2648 $) and are wondering if something cheaper has come out lately
>
>thank you
>
>Guy Teasdale  
>Bibliothèque de l'Université Laval, Sainte-Foy, Québec G1K 7P4
>TÉL: (418) 656-2131 - 2090 FAX: (418) 656-7897
>http://www.bibl.ulaval.ca/info/pagepers/teasdale/
>
Judy E. Myers                              jm at uh.edu
Assistant to the Dean of Libraries         713/743-9805 (voice)
University of Houston Libraries            713/743-9811 (fax)
Houston, TX 77204-2091