library

library — noun

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

1.名詞A2
釋義

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.

例句

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

同義詞
  • bookstore

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

  • archive

    stores historical records for research, not everyday borrowing

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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.名詞B2
釋義

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

例句

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.

同義詞
  • series

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

  • collection

    broader; may be personally assembled rather than commercially produced

用法筆記

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

常見錯誤

❌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.名詞B1
釋義

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.

例句

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.

同義詞
  • playlist

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

  • collection

    more general; can be physical or digital

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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.名詞B1
釋義

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.

例句

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

同義詞
  • collection

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

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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.