In 2023, 85,192 titles of printed books were published in Italy, or nearly 234 per day.*
Of these, more than half remain unsold and are returned after about 3 months to the publisher or distributor, thus risking ending up in the rubble since keeping them in stock would cost more than destroying them.
These are often books in excellent condition and with interesting literary value. They may be classics that have had a new translation, successful books whose rights have been bought by another publisher, or volumes that were simply published redundantly.
We at Librokilo want to give them a second life for a publishing market that is more sustainable and mindful of its environmental impact.
* Data published by the Italian Publishers’ Association (AIE) on the occasion of the 76th Frankfurt Book Fair.
about us
Librokilo is a project that combines the love for books and ecological commitment, born from the Milan based communication agency Materia Talk. The agency promotes Librokilo by searching for places that have a high cultural value and great care for the environment all over Italy.
Our goal is to save books from the pulping, which have gone out of the publishing market circuit, by selling them by weight with competitive prices and a quality choice that can intrigue readers and bibliophiles.
Throughout the year, we carefully select thousands of titles collected from bookshops, publishers, distributors and private readers, striving to reduce paper waste, transport pollution and intellectual debasement.
What’s our commitment?
Ecologically wise we save books from pulping and reduce paper waste.
Socially speaking we reinforce the idea that reading should be accessible to all by offering a wide choice of titles at a very competitive price.
Upcoming events
FAQs
1. How does Librokilo work?
During our events you can choose the books you want and weigh them: 1 kg corresponds to 10 euros regardless of the type and quantity of books. Decimals will also be counted, so if your stack weights e.g. 1.3 kg you will pay 13 euros. The minimum charge is 1 kg.
2. Do you also accept payment by card?
Yes, you can pay in cash as well as with credit and debit cards.
3. Is admission free?
Yes, admission is free of charge with compulsory registration on Eventbrite. For the order of entry we will follow the order of arrival at the venue.
4. Do you have bags or tote bags?
In the interests of ecology and sustainability we want to limit the use of disposable bags as much as possible, so we ask that you bring tote bags, trolleys, recycled bags and any other containers from home to carry your purchased books.
5. Do you also accept used books at Librokilo events?
Yes, you can bring your books up to a maximum of 5 kg and turn them in. However, we ask you to check that they are in excellent condition and not damaged. We will not accept dictionaries, encyclopaedias, newspaper enclosures, magazines and files. The final assessment will be at the discretion of the Librokilo staff and the selected books will be collected on the spot. For each kg of books you will receive a 2 euro token that can only be spent during the current event. If you have quantities above 5 kg, please contact us at info@librokilo.it and we will consider a home collection.
6. Do you also do home collections?
It depends. If you have a large quantity of books, write to us at info@librokilo.it and we will assess the specific case.
7. Are there toilets at the location? Can I bring my dog? Is there disabled access?
We will certainly make every effort to ensure that everyone can always attend Librokilo and feel comfortable. However, since we host a different location each time, we suggest that you write to us directly at info@librokilo.it for a precise answer regarding the current date.
Contact us
Or contact us by writing to info@librokilo.it
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