We’ve just launched Read. Swap. Repeat. at The Centre, Livingston and we are really excited to introduce a vending machine which vends FREE books!
This initiative provides our visitors the opportunity to come along with an old book, grab a token for the machine and swap one of your existing books with another for FREE!
The concept is simple, all you need to do follow the three steps below:
- Bring in an old book
- Swap it for a token at our Customer Service Desk
- Choose your next read
The beauty of the Read. Swap. Repeat. initiative is that the machine stocks itself. Therefore, you won’t find rows and rows of the same book in the machine, instead a stock of ‘pre-loved’ books of all genres so every visit, you’ll find something different!
Read. Swap. Repeat is also great for sustainability by preventing books from going to landfill! Recycling pre-loved books by keeping them in circulation can go toward reducing this problem!
Additionally, swapping pre-loved books is much more accessible than buying new. The cost of a new book can prevent many people from owning books and Read. Swap. Repeat. allows our visitors access to books they may never have chosen to read before.
FAQs
What kind of books are in the machine?
Our book vending machine is stocked with pre-loved books, suitable for both children and adults. You’ll find a great mix of genres, so every visit you’ll be able to find something different. Why not try a book you would never think of reading? If you don’t enjoy it, you can simply Read. Swap. Repeat.
Where is the machine?
The machine is located in the atrium next to the Post Office.
Is there a cost?
The machine is FREE to use, all we ask is that you bring in one of you old books to swap with one in our machine. This means we can keep your pre-loved book in circulation too.
How often can I use the machine?
As long as you have a book to swap, you can swap as many times as you like.
How many books can I swap at once?
We’d say a maximum of 3 at one time to ensure we can keep the machine well stocked.
Do my books need to be in good condition?
Yes, we ask that any books being swapped are in a condition that you would be happy to receive. We accept both children’s and adult books but if we feel it is not appropriate for the machine, we will donate it to charity.
Can I donate used books to the machine?
Yes! If you’d like to help stock our machine, please feel free to bring in your pre-loved books. If we cannot find a use for them, we will donate them to a local charity shop on your behalf.
What do you mean by pre-loved books?
All of the books in our machine are second-hand, this allows us to do our bit to keep a small amount of pre-loved books in circulation and help the environment too.
We’d love to see you using our machine, so please tag @shopthecentre on social media and use the hashtag #ReadTheCentre!
Terms and Conditions:
The Centre, Livingston’s book vending machine is free to use in line with the following terms.
- Books will only be vended from the machine when using a The Centre, Livingston token which can be collected from the customer service desk.
- Tokens will be allocated in exchange for another book and in no other circumstances.
- Customer Service Staff do not have the authority to bypass these terms and conditions.
- If you experience any issues with the machine on site, please speak to one of our customer service team.