A place where books, media, and other information are collected, organized, and made available for people to use or borrow. It can also mean a personal collection of books or digital resources.
From Latin *librarium* meaning “bookcase,” from *liber* (book). Over time, the idea grew from a single storage place to a public institution for reading and learning.
A library is one of the few places where you are encouraged to use valuable resources for free, with no expectation of buying anything. In a world built on selling attention, that makes libraries quietly radical.
Libraries have been key sites for women’s education and organizing, even when women were excluded from universities. The professionalization of library work also intersected with gender, as many staff were women in underpaid roles.
When designing or describing libraries (including digital ones), consider equitable access across gender, class, and other axes, and avoid assuming a default user profile.
Public and community libraries, often staffed and led by women, have supported literacy, reproductive health information, and feminist and queer organizing.
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