There is a new way for students at Greene County Elementary School to get free books. 

Principal Audrey Hinote says a new book vending machine was installed by the start of the school year, after they partnered with the Jefferson Kiwanis Club for a few years to raise enough matching funds to receive a Greene County Community Foundation grant this past April of $4,443. She tells Raccoon Valley Radio that this has been a long-sought after idea to bring continued excitement for students to be engaged in reading, which she emphasizes the new vending machine has been a big hit with the students so far.

“It is the very first thing they get to do when they’re at school. Once the bell rings and the announcements are done, the kids know, ‘It is my turn to go use the book vending machine.’ And they are looking for (Media Associate) Mrs. (Hailey) Larson, she’s always there waiting for them. They are ready, that is really fun, and it definitely has achieved that goal of excitement for the new book that they get to choose and use that vending machine.”

Hinote points out the goal is to allow every student at least one chance during the school year to choose a book from the vending machine, which currently is done on their birthdays, or half birthday if it is in the summer, or another special designated day for a student. She acknowledges that by using this new mechanism for distributing books to every student, it will be incorporated into the long-standing Ram Reader program that has been well supported by the community for several years. 

Hinote adds that the vending machine has a variety of non-fiction and fiction picture books for the younger kids and chapter books for the older students.