lending library

American  

noun

1. Also called circulating library, rental library.  a small library that is maintained by a commercial establishment, as a drugstore, and is composed largely of current books that are lent to customers for a fee.

2. Chiefly British. a public library that lends materials or the division or section of it that carries out this function.

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lending library British  

noun

1. Also called (esp US): circulating library.  the department of a public library providing books for use outside the building

2. a small commercial library

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Etymology

Origin of lending library

First recorded in 1700–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lending library

At this point, Venegas briefly glances at the rows of books inside the lending library, as if contemplating the vastness of human creativity.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026

But some of its other projects—a pandemic-era lending library and the ongoing digitalization of 78 rpm records—have led to lawsuits now threatening the future of this repository of the past.

From Slate ● Apr. 21, 2024

“We are social animals; we want to go out into the world and engage with each other,” said Mr. Morrison, who keeps a lending library outside his home.

From New York Times ● Mar. 21, 2024

It is believed to be Europe's largest public lending library and houses one of the UK's most important Shakespeare collections.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2023

Her other expenditure was at the lending library, where she borrowed Oliver Twist.

From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson