Ourlit

Mission

💫

Save Money

A typical new book is $25 - $45 plus shipping. With Ourlit you can save money buying secondhand books & make money selling.

♻️

Reduce Waste

An average book has a carbon footprint of ~3kg CO₂ plus any overseas shipping. By buying & selling secondhand books locally you help reduce waste.

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Spread Joy

After reading an awesome book there’s nothing better than sharing it! With Ourlit you can spread joy by selling to fellow Aussie booklovers.

Our Story

Ourlit was born of frustration. Our founders struggled to easily access a good selection of preloved books and became increasingly frustrated by the cost and emissions of buying new books. They dreamed of a better way.

“After moving to Sydney for an environmental research fellowship one of my first stops was my local library. I wanted Let My People Go Surfing but it wasn’t available. I ruffled through Op shops and a few used bookshops in Newtown to no avail. I caved & bought from Amazon. The cost shocked me. But more than that, it shipped from the US which resulted in unnecessary emissions. I wanted a better way.” Elisabeth ⛷️🏄‍♀️🌈 Co-Founder & CEO

“A few years ago I wanted a book on programming, but my Uni library didn’t have it. It was going to be $120 with overseas shipping from Amazon. It seemed crazy when I’d just want to read the book once. I thought surely people would want to be selling secondhand books locally but I couldn’t find a site.” Will 🏂🌊🏀 Co-Founder & CTO

Faced with the same frustrations, our founders teamed up to work towards a solution. We want you to be a part of our story! Join the community & let us know any feedback.

Vision

🥰 Foster a community of booklovers that help each other save money, time, and the environment. 📚

Values

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Transparency

We bring honesty to the book buying & selling process ensuring you understand all steps necessary to purchase books & manage your listings.

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Kindness

We encourage you to be kind in order to build a community that lifts each other up.

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Authenticity

There’s no one better than you! We aspire to create a book buying & selling community that celebrates each other for being exactly who we are.

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Incredible User Experience

We create a user experience that makes it quick & easy to buy & sell books – so you have more time for reading & connecting!

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Sustainability

Business and sustainability are too often mutually exclusive. We aspire to reduce consumerism and encourage reuse.

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Active Listening

We use your feedback to constantly improve & create a better experience for you. Want to help us be better? Give feedback.