Dora Wang PO ’27 first noticed the new machine’s beacon of light after an exhausting late-night study session.
“The library was about to close and I was in a very exhausted state walking down the stairs, and I saw the glowing machine,” she said.
This mysterious glowing device sitting by the staircase is one of two Short Story Dispensers in Honnold Mudd Library, installed in January 2026 in partnership with French publishing company, Short Édition.
At the press of a button, curious students in need of a break from homework have access to one, three, and five-minute reads that span a variety of genres. More than a new gadget, these machines are part of the library’s efforts to cultivate curiosity, creativity and discovery on campus.
“The dispensers offer students an opportunity to take a brief break, read for pleasure and discover writers and stories they might not otherwise encounter,” Laura Muna-Landa, assistant vice president for communications & community relations for The Claremont Colleges Services, wrote in an email to TSL.
Wang enjoyed the exposure to genres and voices from all over the world while using the machine. She was particularly struck by how one creative nonfiction piece, “Jogging Urayasu,” introduced her to a new genre and a new city — Urayasu, the location of Tokyo Disneyland.
“I’m not usually a creative nonfiction person, but reading it was pretty cool,” Wang said. “Because it is a city that’s known for Disneyland, right? But I like that the author didn’t center on that, but rather chose a different, perhaps more mundane, approach.”
Turning an otherwise ordinary moment into an opportunity for discovery is what Short Édition, the company behind the dispensers, aims to do. Their mission is centered around using a creative, tech-powered approach to make literature more accessible and spark joy, connection and imagination.
Although Short Story Dispenser users can indicate what length of a read they want, other than that, the genre and specific story are a complete surprise.
Turning an otherwise ordinary moment into an opportunity for discovery is what Short Édition, the company behind the dispensers, aims to do. Their mission is centered around using a creative, tech-powered approach to make literature more accessible and spark joy, connection and imagination.
Lily Elliott PZ ’27 appreciates how this eliminates the stress and decision-making process that comes with picking up a traditional book.
“[When] given a whole short story compilation in a book, I feel like it’s difficult for me to choose one,” Elliott said. “I like when things are randomized.”
Wang and Elliott aren’t the only ones captivated by the Short Story Dispensers. Since January, the machines at the library have printed over 3,000 stories.
But who wrote all these stories?
A sleek, futuristic machine that prints out random stories on demand might appear to be replacing human authors with technology, but Short Édition uses technological innovation to uplift writers’ voices. Each story in the dispenser comes from Short Édition’s community publishing platforms, which are open to submissions from anyone across the world — including students.
“While current selections come from Short Édition’s curated collections, the library hopes to create opportunities for students from the Claremont Colleges to contribute their own short fiction for possible inclusion in the dispensers,” Muna-Landa said in an email.
Towards this goal, Honnold Mudd Library is encouraging students to enter Short Édition’s international Long Story Short Award 2026 and plans to host its own writing contest in the spring, inviting students to submit original short stories.
The dispensers have left lasting impacts on students, like Wang and Elliott, that don’t necessarily consider themselves writers. Both students described ways the machines are reshaping the way they read for fun.
Since her first encounter with the dispenser that fateful night, Wang has made it a ritual to pick up a short story every time she visits the library. The stories provide a momentary escape from the daily stress of her jam-packed schedule.
“I think the biggest impact it’s had on me is that it forces me to take a break,” she said. “It kind of transports me to somewhere else for a minute or two.”
Eliott has used the machine only once, but the story now lives forever as literary decor in their room.
“I like having the option to read a short story whenever I’m in the library, even if I haven’t used it more than once,” they said. “I’m also a notorious collector, and I love having it on my wall.”
With over 600 dispensers installed worldwide, Short Story Dispensers can be found far beyond Honnold Mudd Library — you may have even already come across one machine in the Ontario airport. No matter where in the world you are, the glow of a Short Story Dispenser is an invitation to take a pause and open up space for imagination.
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