A YOUNG reader has a short story printed. Picture: Supplied

THERE is a new way to experience stories from the library. Kingston Libraries has purchased and installed two “short story dispenser” machines. The dispensers print free 150 word, 300 word, and 1,000 word original short stories for library visitors.

California’s rail stations now have dispensers that print short stories for free.

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) has teamed up with a French publisher to boost literacy and encourage reading.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF/BCN) — Looking for something to read on BART? The transit agency has installed dispensers at the Richmond, Fruitvale and Pleasant Hill stations that spit out short stories for free. It’s part of a partnership with Short Edition, the company that makes the dispensers and puts together the short stories, which are suitable for all ages.

The Pleasant Hill BART station is one of three stations with a new short-story dispenser offering free printed reading material to passengers. (Dan Brekke/KQED)

These days, most BART riders spend their travel time staring at their phones—and understandably so. In an increasingly digitized world accelerated by the isolation of the pandemic, our lives have migrated almost entirely online.

BART installed a short story dispenser at four stations. This image shows the one installed at Pleasanton Station. (Photo courtesy of BART).

BART has installed Short Story Dispensers at some of its stations, including the Richmond station. The touchless dispensers print out short stories for riders to read — for free.

The Station coffee shop on Beacon Hill has the city’s first short-story dispenser, installed by Seattle Public Library. It... (Alan Berner / The Seattle Times)

These days, with modern technology providing such easy access to all kinds of digital content, it’s tempting to think that reading something on paper is a thing of the past.

Perth is set to become the first Australian city to permanently hero the international literary trend: the very, very short story. The short story dispensing machines that distribute a variety of one, three or five-minute stories are the brainchild Short Edition, a French community publisher of short-form literature and will find its home at Raine Square from Friday 16 October.

The stories are printed on eco-friendly papyrus paper. Image: REUTERS/Simon Dawson

Once upon a time, in one of the busiest parts of one of the busiest cities in the world, the people were so busy, they didn’t have time to finish reading lengthy works of fiction. So three vending machines were set up, dishing out not chocolate bars or cans of drink, but free short stories to those rushing by.

French creation, the short story dispenser, are now springing up around the world.

The Short Story Dispenser was invented by Short Edition, a French publishing house. Since 2015, the machines have been dispensing short stories on receipt paper that range from one to five minute reads, free of charge. The machines have proven so popular in France that they're now springing up around the world.

The Death of Mr Robinson, a one-minute read printed by a free short story vending machine in Canary Wharf station. The story was commissioned for the project from novelist Anthony Horowitz. Photograph: Sarah Lee/The Guardian

‘Short story stations’ in Canary Wharf print one- three- and five-minute reads on demand “Every single day,” says Paresh Raichura, “I’m on the lookout for something new to read.” On his hour-long commute to Canary Wharf, where he works for the Financial Ombudsman, he picks up Time Out or a local paper or the freesheet Metro, but says: “I’ve stopped reading all the long novels I used to read.”

The machines, made by French company Short Édition, will dispense free one, three and five-minute stories … with the first penned by Anthony Horowitz. Weary city workers will have a new way of passing the time on their commute once the UK’s first short-story vending machines are installed at Canary Wharf this week.