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Social Responsibility
Here at Biblio, the “bottom line” isn't just profit — it is about being human.
From the very beginning, we have acknowledged our continuous obligation to positively affect the world around us with our business.
What started as a mash-up idea on our conference room whiteboard is now the foundation of our company: an EPIC bottom line. The word “EPIC” stands for Environment, Profit, Independence and Community, the four focus areas that are intertwined with our business practices and with one another.
Environment
Biblio is committed to preserving the environment. We were the first bookselling marketplace to offer carbon-offsetting on all orders shipped through our site. This program, ecosend, is accomplished in partnership with Native Energy, whose projects include building sustainable communities. We also offset carbon emissions from internal operations, practice recycling, energy-efficiency, compost, paper reduction where possible, and encourage buying local to reduce the carbon footprint.
Profit
We have been growing slowly and steadily since 2005, taking our place in the bookselling market. With profits each year, we are able to provide secure jobs, comprehensive benefits, charitable donations and successful reinvestments in technology, research and advertising. It's what we call “ethical profit”--promoting managed growth internally and giving back externally to communities around the world.
Independence
As an independently-owned and operated company, we understand the importance of independence among our booksellers and customers. With increased globalization and big box companies reducing competition, we're doing what we can to revitalize the small business economy by creating quality connections between readers, collectors and booksellers, and promote healthy business competition. The words “consumer” and “supplier” are not used around our office. As Jeanette Winterson wrote, “I think of us, and others like us, as a pocket of air in an upturned boat. We are a breathing space.”
Community
At Biblio we constantly strive to maintain the balance between give and take. We love to give back to our communities, and in 2005 we founded the non-profit organization, Biblio Charitable Works, Inc., also known as BiblioWorks. After the success of the first library project in Morado K'asa, Bolivia, BiblioWorks became a major contributor in the efforts to bring literacy and education to impoverished indigenous communities. Since then, we have built 12 community libraries and counting in Bolivia, as well as assisted with local book drives, prison book programs, homeless shelters and tutoring programs. BiblioWorks is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. You can read more about the organization here.