library

library — noun

1. a place — such as a public building, a school room, or a website — where books,

1.nounA2
Definition

a place — such as a public building, a school room, or a website — where books, newspapers, music, and films are kept so that people can read them or take them home temporarily.

Example

Beatrix goes to the library every Saturday to borrow new novels.

collocation: borrow from the library

The school library has a quiet study room on the second floor.

collocation: school library

Common collocations
  • public library
  • school library
  • local library
  • library card
  • library book
  • borrow from the library
  • return to the library
Synonyms
  • bookstore

    a place that sells books, not borrows them — different purpose

  • archive

    stores historical records for research, not everyday borrowing

Usage Note

Frequently used with 'the' (the library) when referring to the institution; 'a library' when referring to any library building. The online sense is increasingly common in digital contexts.

Common Mistakes

I borrowed a book from library.
I borrowed a book from the library.
'library' usually needs an article or determiner when referring to a specific place.
I need to return the book to library.
I need to return the book to the library.
same rule; treat it like 'school' or 'hospital' but with the definite article.

2. a set of books, music recordings, or films released by one company that share a

2.nounB2
Definition

a set of books, music recordings, or films released by one company that share a similar style or cover the same subject.

Example

Fatima bought the entire library of classic novels published by Penguin.

collocation: library of classic novels

Mauricio collected every volume in the Cambridge library of science books.

Common collocations
  • library of classics
  • library of modern works
  • publishing library
  • library edition
Synonyms
  • series

    more general and common; does not suggest a curated collection under one publisher

  • collection

    broader; may be personally assembled rather than commercially produced

Usage Note

Almost always followed by 'of' — 'a library of + [subject/type]'. Found in book catalogues and publisher descriptions. Less common in everyday speech.

Common Mistakes

I read a library of books last year.
I read a whole series of books last year.
'library of' in this sense refers to a thematically-grouped collection from a publisher, not any large number of books.

3. the group of songs and music pieces that a user saves on an internet-based strea

3.nounB1
Definition

the group of songs and music pieces that a user saves on an internet-based streaming platform, like Spotify or Apple Music, for personal listening.

Example

Élise added twenty new albums to her Spotify library this month.

collocation: Spotify library / music library

My online music library is organised by artist and release year.

Common collocations
  • music library
  • Spotify library
  • Apple Music library
  • digital library
  • online library
Synonyms
  • playlist

    a smaller, curated list of songs; a library is a larger personal archive

  • collection

    more general; can be physical or digital

Usage Note

This sense is almost always used in the context of a specific online service — 'my Apple Music library', 'her Spotify library'. The word 'library' alone may refer to this meaning in tech or music contexts.

Common Mistakes

I took a CD from my music library' (meaning a CD shelf).
I took a CD from my music collection.
the 'online music' sense only applies to digital streaming services, not physical shelves.

4. the books, music recordings, films, or other media that belong to one person and

4.nounB1
Definition

the books, music recordings, films, or other media that belong to one person and are kept in their home for their own use and enjoyment.

Example

Grandfather's library of jazz records fills an entire wall of his study.

collocation: library of [type]

Sumin keeps her personal library on wooden shelves built by her uncle.

collocation: personal library

Common collocations
  • personal library
  • home library
  • library of books
  • library of films
  • library of music
Synonyms
  • collection

    broader and more common; 'library' adds a sense of organised breadth

Usage Note

Often used with a possessive ('his library', 'her library') or preceded by 'personal'. Unlike sense 1, this does not involve borrowing — these items are owned by the person.

Common Mistakes

I lent a book from my personal library building.
I lent a book from my personal library.
'library' here means the collection itself, not the room or building.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A library (sense 1) is a place where you can borrow books, music, or films for free. An archive holds historical records and documents for research, usually without allowing items to be taken home. A bookstore sells books rather than lending them. A 阅览室 (reading room) is a specific room inside a library where people sit and read — it is smaller and focused on quiet study, while a library building may also have group areas, computers, and borrowing services. For example, you borrow a novel from the public library, buy a textbook from a bookstore, and look up old newspapers in an archive.

archive ↗bookstore ↗阅览室

Common collocations

Nouns

  • library card
  • library book
  • library member
  • library staff
  • library system

Phrases

  • go to the library
  • borrow from the library
  • return to the library
  • the library of [subject/type]

Prepositions

  • in the library
  • from the library
  • at the library

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'library' comes from Latin 'liber', meaning 'book'. From this, Latin formed 'librarium' (a bookcase or chest for books). Old French turned this into 'librairie' (a bookseller's shop), and by the 14th century English had adopted 'library' to mean a place where books are kept. The idea of a personal collection (sense 4) and a publisher's series (sense 2) developed later, as books became more widely available.