Locals gathered for a ribbon cutting of a new Inchy Bookworm book vending machine at Edna L. Toliver Intermediate School on Monday. Mary G. Hogsett Primary School was also given a machine on Feb. 6.

Inchy Bookworm vending machines are a positive reward-based system to help encourage students to read more. Made by Global Vending Group, schools can order them customized for between $5,300 to $6,300.

The idea for getting these machines came from Heart of Kentucky United Way Director Stephanie Blevins. They funded the machines for Toliver and Hogsett. United Way along with The Gladys Project bought the books.

The machines hold 200 to 300 books, and come with 100 tokens. Only those tokens can be used with the machines. Teachers give these tokens to students as a reward for positive behavior.

According to the Inchy Bookworm website, schools can assign positive behaviors tailored to each school’s needs that they would like to reward.

At Toliver, students will be given tokens on their birthdays, as a reward for reaching AR reading goals, and other things. At Hogsett, students can use the machine on their birthdays, and for other rewards.

“We hope this program will help bridge the gap between literacy and engagement, making reading an award instead of an assignment,” Inchy Bookworm’s website states.

A few titles in the two schools’ machines include “You can be a farmer, too!,” “The Caring Me I Want To Be,” “The Bear in the Boat,” “Mission: Fun,” “The Up and Down Book,” “Star Wars Galactic Storybook,” and others.

At Hogsett’s ribbon cutting on Feb. 6, a kindergarten student who had a birthday that day was able to cut the ribbon and choose a book to keep for the first time.

In attendance at Toliver’s ribbon cutting were local leaders Judge Executive Trille Bottom, Magistrate Tom Ellis and Danville Mayor James Atkins.