Have you ever gotten the whole way to the library, gotten all your books out, strategically laid them out according to level of procrastination-necessity, and then realized you didn’t have a pen or pencil to write with? Well, now there is a quick fix for those of you who are plagued by this problem!

The Penn State Bookstore installed two vending machines in the Library that offer a wide range of student supplies. The vending machines have been fully functional for more than a week, and are located in the Knowledge Commons of Pattee and in the second floor study lounge of Paterno. An array of student necessities can be found in them, along with some things that might not be considered necessities: headphones, calculators, blue books sold in packs of two, and other miscellaneous office supplies.

The vending machines do not offer gum, food, or beverage of any kind, by the way.

“If the vending machines had even a pack of gum in them, we would have to alter the temperature of the machines and constantly monitor the setting to assure health policies are followed. We want to keep them as simple as possible right now,” said Katie Smulligan, the Social Media Coordinator for the Penn State Bookstore.

The convenience of these items being inside of the library could save you a trip back to your dorm in the snow. There are two downsides to the machines though: they only accept LionCash, and you need to have a balance of at least $30 on your account regardless of the price of the item you’re purchasing (i.e. you cannot buy a pen for $1 if you only have $29 on your LionCash account).

The bookstore is welcoming suggestions for other non-food items to be sold out of the machines and they can be directed to their customer service department, by calling the phone number directly on the machine.