About NearbyReads
The Idea
The idea for NearbyReads started with a question: what if someone near me just so happen to have a book I was looking for?
My name is Mike and when I asked myself taht question it ocurred to me there really wasn't something out there answered that question. There wasn't someting that could work like a friend loaning you a book or a neighbor loaning you a hammer to use. The particular book I wanted was on back order in several local libraries, many used book sites had it but it was near full price and standard shipping was about 7-10 business days. Amazon could get it to be but I didn't want to buy from Amazon. Other, non-Amazon book sellers did have it but there was the challenge, also, of price and shipping speed. Shortly after the original idea emerged, community-driven book lending where everyone lists books they were comfortable lending out to strangers and hitting a dead end with how to make it work (infrastructure-related, mostly), the idea of local buy-sell-discover books followed. My wonderful girlfriend who sat through my excited rambling sketch of this idea sat through it and, in that moment, thought that could be a good idea and something she'd definitely use.
Shortly after that conversation, work on building what became NearbyReads began and continued to this site you see today.
The Mission
NearbyReads is a community-driven online marketplace to find books. NearbyReads makes it possible to easily buy, sell and discover books in your local area.
We believe that every book deserves multiple readers, and every reader deserves access to a diverse library without breaking the bank or harming the environment. Our platform connects book lovers in local communities, making it easy to share books with neighbors who share your passion for reading.
NearbyReads is a new way communities can buy, sell, share and discover books.
Why NearbyReads exists
Build Community By Putting Books in People's Hands
Greater time on some social media platforms and consuming digital content, now more than ever, has been linked to feelings of depression, anxiety, loneliness and isolation. NearbyReads seeks to offer and enable a simple, offline remedy to the issues born from increasingly digital lives: reading and sharing literature.
Reduce Bookwaste
In the US 32 million trees are used to produce physical books. Every year, 320 million books are discarded annually in the US. By some estimates, as of 2025 between 65-95% of returned books are destroyed. Producing physical books is a resource heavy endeavor. Every book listed on NearbyReads helps avoid contributing to the ~320 million discarded books each year in the US.
Offer Another Way to Find Books
NearbyReads is not here to replace other ways of buying, selling and discovering books. NearbyReads was designed to be another way to buy, sell and discovery. If you prefer to rent books from your local library, or buy on Amazon or buy from a major name used book seller, that's great! We're just happy you found the book you're looking for. As you're looking for that book or opening yourself up to finding something new, NearbyReads is here to be that other source of discovery.
The Values
- Community First: We believe in the power of local connections and neighborhood bonds.
- Sustainability: Every shared book is a step toward a more sustainable future.
- Accessibility: Reading should be accessible to everyone, regardless of budget.
- Trust & Safety: We prioritize creating a safe, trustworthy platform for all users.
- Sovereignty: We prioritize digital and personal sovereignty. Physical media and ownership is the greatest demonstration of those values.
- Self-Governance: NearbyReads is here to empower people to manage their relationships with their neighbors without excessive mediation, moderation and guidance. Our goal is to be the platform by which people connect on and the relationships formed belong to the individuals connecting.
- Simplicity: "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." - Confucius