Everything Your PTO Needs To Know About Book Vending Machines
Encourage a love of reading and positive behavior with a book vending machine. Here's how to make it happen at your school.
Rebuild your school’s reading culture with BookVending.com and Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machine™ from Global Vending Group. This innovative program rewards students with free books for good behavior and academic success, helping schools make reading fun and meaningful. Visit BookVending.com to learn how your school can inspire a lifelong love of reading with an Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machine.
One elementary school in Northwest Las Vegas has an unlikely new addition that students are buzzing about—a book vending machine.
Shauna Turner, a PTO volunteer at Henry and Evelyn Bozarth Elementary, is the lead behind this initiative, which she calls “her most proud project” in the past six years she’s been on the PTO. To get books from the vending machine, students use tokens, which are earned, not bought. Tokens are then redeemed for books from the book vending machine. And then, the magic happens: Students get excited about reading.
Recalling a heartfelt moment when two 5th grade students put their tokens together to get a book for a friend who had been feeling down, Turner says, “This is why I have done what I have done for so many years. And more importantly, that is the magic that books have!” We couldn’t agree more!
@ptotoday PTOs do amazing things. ?? #nationalreadingmonth #readacrossamerica #PTOlife #ptomomsoftiktok #ptopresident #ptomom #schoolvolunteerlife #ptapresident ? original sound - PTO Today
If your school is considering a book vending machine, we’ve rounded up everything your parent group needs to know to bring this awesome initiative to life.
How Much Does a Book Vending Machine Cost?
At BookVending.com (home of Inchy's Bookworm Vending Machine), pricing depends on your school’s needs and the features you select. Most machines range between $6,000 and $7,500, all-in, including shipping. You can also order books directly through BookVending.com, guaranteeing titles that fit perfectly in the machine and are highly engaging for students of all ages and grade levels. A book bundle from BookVending.com costs just $1,375.
Simple Delivery and Setup
Your machine arrives fully assembled and ready to go. Once it’s delivered, simply place it where you want, plug it in, load the books, and you’re ready to start. It’s that easy.
Features That Make It More Than a Vending Machine
Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machine is designed to create an exciting, rewarding experience for students:
- Customizable LED Lighting: Pick colors, patterns, and modes to match your school spirit.
- Positive Audio Messages: After students receive a book, the machine plays uplifting messages to make the moment special.
- Trays for Various Book Sizes: Flexible shelving lets you stock books for all ages and grade levels.
- Custom Graphics: Personalize your machine with your school’s mascot, branding, or unique design.
This isn’t just a vending machine — it’s an experience that gets kids excited about reading for generations to come!
Where To Get One
Inchy's Bookworm Vending Machine from Global Vending Group is the first of its kind that allows students to earn golden tokens as a reward for positive behavior. Discover why more than 10,000 schools have adopted Inchy's Bookworm book vending machine program to empower students across four countries!
Book Tokens
One of the most exciting features of Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machine is its token-based system. Instead of accepting money, students use special tokens that come with your machine—turning every book selection into a reward-worthy moment.
Schools decide how and when tokens are earned, which makes every machine’s usage unique and customizable. Here are just a few popular ways schools are using tokens:
- PBIS Rewards: Celebrate positive behaviors and reinforce your PBIS program in a fun, engaging way.
- Chronic Absenteeism Solution: Motivate students to show up! Reward improved attendance with a token and let them choose a book.
- Academic Accomplishments: Recognize good grades, reading milestones, and other academic achievements plus, random acts of kindness.
- Birthday Tokens: Make students feel special by celebrating birthdays with the gift of a book.
And these are just the beginning—schools are constantly finding creative ways to make the machine their own, using it to inspire reading, reward effort, and celebrate student success!
Bonus Tip: Tokens are fully reusable. Simply open the machine, collect them, and redistribute as needed—making it a cost-effective system that your school can use year after year.
Many PTO and PTA groups will use book tokens and a special “trip to the book vending machine” to pick out their own book as a PBIS incentive. Some schools provide vouchers (for tokens) with each student’s name on them to ensure that every student gets one, and then allow individual teachers to give them out however they choose—as birthday gifts, student of the month, achievement, etc. The goal is for teachers to find something positive to celebrate with each student and reward them with a token for a free book. Oh, and “Free Book Friday”? Yep, that’s now a thing!
Books
Most book vending machines hold between 200-300 books and have space for 20-25 different book selections. Some schools keep their machines stocked with a variety of age-level books, while others alternate reading levels every few weeks.
When it comes to replenishing your machine with books, the cost will run around $1,500. We asked PTO and PTA leaders to share a few things that have worked for their schools to stock up on books:
- Ordering books directly through Global Vending (Inchy's Book Vending Machine) guarantees a variety of books that fit perfectly in the machine and are highly engaging for students of all ages and grade levels. A Book Bundle from Global Vending costs just $1,375 and includes a collection of age-appropriate books professionally curated by librarians and educators (with books available in multiple languages), so there's no guesswork or searching required. Learn more about book bundles
- Use the proceeds or “Scholastic dollars” from your school’s book fairs throughout the year. If you use Scholastic dollars and order more than $75, it opens up the dollar section.
- Shop the sales at Target and Walmart.
- Books-A-Million has a “buy 2 get 1 free” sale twice a year, and nonprofits can be set up with a special account that gives 25% off and tax exemption with proof of tax-exempt status.
- PaperPie (formally Usborne Books & More) Literacy for a Lifetime program gets you 50% back in free books with free shipping.
- Shop sites like Book Outlet and TheBookBundler.
- Invite the school community to donate gently used books.
- Invite local businesses to sponsor a row of books in return for advertising on a bookmark placed inside the book.
How Can School Parent Groups Pay for a Book Vending Machine?
Fundraising Ideas and Resources
More Fundraising Resources from Bookvending.com
When it comes to writing a grant proposal for a book vending machine for your school, noting how students will benefit—how it will be used to improve reading and comprehension to help students prepare for middle school, and for PBIS rewards—will increase the likelihood of receiving grant money. And a note about grants and federal funding: Virtually all formal grants are available only to organizations officially recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code. If your group isn’t yet organized as a 501(c)(3) group, check out our Bylaws/Nonprofit resources.
The "Bookcase" Alternative
If your group is unable to fund a book vending machine, Kali Agy, PTA Reading Committee Lead, shared a resourceful idea that's become quite the hit at Canyon View Elementary in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. The school's bookcase is encased in glass and displays a variety of books, which are paid for using Scholastic book fair dollars. Teachers receive a laminated voucher for every student (many use for student birthdays). Students can also earn book vouchers through the school's various reading challenges.
Spark a love for reading with Inchy's Bookworm Book Vending Machine. Request a quote!
