Southern Library Support Staff Conference 2026

When students need a highlighter at 3 a.m. or a flash drive between classes, traditional service hours often fall short. This session shares the real-world implementation of an office supply vending machine at an academic library--an initiative led by frontline Public Services staff who know student needs firsthand. While the project took place in an academic setting, the approach and lessons are widely applicable to multiple library types. This presentation highlights how this initiative supports academic success, student affordability, equity, and accessibility. In our talk, we emphasize how staff at all levels can contribute to strategic initiatives.

Attendees will walk through the full project lifecycle: identifying the gap through usage patterns and student feedback, working within budget constraints, navigating procurement, and managing vendor and campus relationships. The session will detail how the team selected and customized the machine (from stocking items to integrating with campus payment systems), handled logistics, and launched the service.

Participants will also hear tips on campus collaboration, marketing strategies that actually work, and what was learned after launch. Whether an organization is looking for a new student service, is thinking about affordability and access, or just loves a good implementation roadmap, this session will leave attendees with concrete steps to adapt this idea to their own library.