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- Dictionarylibrary/ˈlʌɪb(rə)ri/
noun
- 1. a building or room containing collections of books, periodicals, and sometimes films and recorded music for use or borrowing by the public or the members of an institution: "a university library"
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Learn the meaning of library as a noun in English, with examples of different types and uses of libraries. Find out how to pronounce library and see translations in other languages.
- Znaczenie Library, Definicja W Cambridge English Dictionary
library definicja: 1. a building, room, or organization that...
- Public Library
PUBLIC LIBRARY definition: 1. a building where people can...
- Mobile Library
MOBILE LIBRARY definition: 1. a large road vehicle that...
- Library: Thai Translation
library - translate into Thai with the English-Thai...
- Library Science
LIBRARY SCIENCE definition: 1. the study of the way...
- Library: Polish Translation
LIBRARY translate: biblioteka, biblioteka. Learn more in the...
- Library: Malay Translation
library translate: perpustakaan. Learn more in the Cambridge...
- Library: Italian Translation
LIBRARY translate: biblioteca, biblioteca. Learn more in the...
- Znaczenie Library, Definicja W Cambridge English Dictionary
Library definition: a place set apart to contain books, periodicals, and other material for reading, viewing, listening, study, or reference, as a room, set of rooms, or building where books may be read or borrowed.. See examples of LIBRARY used in a sentence.
Learn the meaning of library as a noun in English, with different levels and contexts. See how to use library in sentences and collocations, and find translations in other languages.
The meaning of LIBRARY is a place in which literary, musical, artistic, or reference materials (such as books, manuscripts, recordings, or films) are kept for use but not for sale. How to use library in a sentence.
- Overview
- The changing role of libraries
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library, traditionally, collection of books used for reading or study, or the building or room in which such a collection is kept. The word derives from the Latin liber, “book,” whereas a Latinized Greek word, bibliotheca, is the origin of the word for library in German, Russian, and the Romance languages.
From their historical beginnings as places to keep the business, legal, historical, and religious records of a civilization, libraries have emerged since the middle of the 20th century as a far-reaching body of information resources and services that do not even require a building. Rapid developments in computers, telecommunications, and other technologies have made it possible to store and retrieve information in many different forms and from any place with a computer and a telephone connection. The terms digital library and virtual library have begun to be used to refer to the vast collections of information to which people gain access over the Internet, cable television, or some other type of remote electronic connection.
Libraries are collections of books, manuscripts, journals, and other sources of recorded information. They commonly include reference works, such as encyclopaedias that provide factual information and indexes that help users find information in other sources; creative works, including poetry, novels, short stories, music scores, and photographs; nonfiction, such as biographies, histories, and other factual reports; and periodical publications, including magazines, scholarly journals, and books published as part of a series. As home use of records, CD-ROMs, and audiotapes and videotapes has increased, library collections have begun to include these and other forms of media, too.
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Libraries were involved early in exploiting information technologies. For many years libraries have participated in cooperative ventures with other libraries. Different institutions have shared cataloging and information about what each has in its collection. They have used this shared information to facilitate the borrowing and lending of materials among libraries. Librarians have also become expert in finding information from on-line and CD-ROM databases.
As society has begun to value information more highly, the so-called information industry has developed. This industry encompasses publishers, software developers, on-line information services, and other businesses that package and sell information products for a profit. It provides both an opportunity and a challenge to libraries. On the one hand, as more information becomes available in electronic form, libraries no longer have to own an article or a certain piece of statistical information, for example, to obtain it quickly for a user. On the other hand, members of the information industry seem to be offering alternatives to libraries. A student with her own computer can now go directly to an on-line service to locate, order, and receive a copy of an article without ever leaving her home.
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A library is a collection of books, manuscripts, journals, and other sources of recorded information, or the building or room in which such a collection is kept. Learn about the history, types, and functions of libraries, as well as the challenges and opportunities of digital and virtual libraries.
n. pl. li·brar·ies. 1. a. A place in which reading materials, such as books, periodicals, and newspapers, and often other materials such as musical and video recordings, are kept for use or lending. b. A collection of such materials, especially when systematically arranged.
Learn the meaning, pronunciation and usage of the word library in English. Find out the different types, functions and features of libraries, and see example sentences and collocations.
