EquiLIBRO - Used Schoolbook Market

A market against the high cost of books

Every summer, the cost of textbooks weighs heavily on the budgets of many Italian families, and Rome is no exception. This is the premise behind EquiLIBRO, the used schoolbook market held at the Polo Civico Esquilino, at Via Galileo Galilei 57, in the Esquilino district of Rome, Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region. The idea is as simple as it is effective: to recirculate volumes that would otherwise end up forgotten on a shelf, giving them a second life while slashing the costs for the upcoming school year.

How it works

The market mechanism is designed to be accessible to everyone, without commercial intermediaries. Those who have finished the school year can bring their textbooks to the Polo Civico; those preparing for the new year can search among the available volumes for those adopted by their school. A flat 50% discount is applied to all purchased texts, a condition that distinguishes EquiLIBRO from many other solutions in the city and makes the savings immediate and transparent.

• Non-profit: the stated goal is the right to education.
• Flat 50% discount on every book purchased.
• Dual function: you can sell and buy on the same day.
• Open in two time slots, morning and afternoon, to accommodate family schedules.

The Polo Civico Esquilino

The venue is no coincidence. The Polo Civico Esquilino is a community governance project promoted by over forty local organizations, created to build proximity ties, local economy, and shared care for the neighborhood. Throughout the year, the spaces on Via Galilei host association activities, workshops, volunteer initiatives, and listening sessions open to residents. EquiLIBRO fits naturally into this fabric: it is not just a sale, but an opportunity for encounters between generations and families in one of the most multicultural districts of the capital.

Esquilino, a district to explore

Those arriving at Esquilino for the market find themselves in one of the densest and most vibrant neighborhoods in Rome. A few steps away are Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II with its gardens and porticoes, the Esquilino Market with its stalls of products from all over the world, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, and Termini Station. It is a part of the city where public schooling, associations, and local commerce have coexisted for decades, and where initiatives like this serve a very concrete social function.

A model spread across Lazio

Used book markets under the name EquiLIBRO have become a summer tradition in several Lazio cities, from Viterbo to Rieti, from Tivoli to Pomezia, often organized by student groups alongside local social entities. The Roman version hosted in Esquilino confirms how much the formula is in demand: a few days of opening concentrated near the end of July, when the lists of adopted texts are already known and families begin to calculate their September expenses.

Who it is for

The market is open to secondary school students, their families, and anyone who wants to contribute by donating or looking for textbooks. No reservation is needed: just show up during opening hours, with your books if you intend to sell them and with the list of adopted texts if you intend to buy them.