Vending

Vending machine boasts books from local authors

Photo: Generated by AI. Adobe Stock.

December 19, 2025

A book vending machine in Washington, D.C. is promoting books by local authors.

The LitBox is the brainchild of author Lauren Woods who had seen a similar machine in Europe, according to a Goodnet report, citing a NPR news report.

"I had friends who wrote award-winning books and couldn't get their books into DC bookstores because they were smaller presses, or they didn't have a mass appeal, or the book buyer didn't think they would be profitable. And that always seemed wrong to me," Woods told NPR.

The vending machine is located in the Western Market food hall.