circulating library

American  

noun

1. a library whose books can be borrowed by its members or subscribers.

2. lending library.

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circulating library British  

noun

1. another name (esp US) for lending library

2. a small library circulated in turn to a group of schools or other institutions

3. a rare name for subscription library

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Etymology

Origin of circulating library

First recorded in 1735–45

Example Sentences

Among its innovations, the store established a circulating library for travelers wintering in Pasadena’s grand resort hotels, who often preferred to rent a book rather than lug it home.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2022

Lee’s essay reminds me of my time renting books from a circulating library in Mahim, a Mumbai suburb, in the 1960s.

From New York Times • Apr. 30, 2021

The Imperial Library was what’s known as a circulating library.

From Washington Post • Apr. 2, 2016

Books were expensive, but for a modest fee you could join a circulating library.

From Slate • Feb. 9, 2016

Who would read a clean new copy of Robinson Crusoe when he might have one that had seen service in a circulating library, or had been well thumbed by several generations of adventure-loving boys?

From My Unknown Chum by Fairbanks, Charles Bullard