Spanish Word of the Day: Biblioteca (library)

In Spanish, the term for a library is biblioteca. Its roots can be traced to the ancient Greek term βιβλιοθήκη, which is a fusion of βιβλίον (biblion, signifying book) and -θήκη (-theke, denoting box or chest).

Because it is a feminine noun, it takes the following definite and indefinite articles:

• la biblioteca = the library
• las bibliotecas = the libraries
• una biblioteca = a library
• unas bibliotecas = some libraries

Some different kinds of bibliotecas include:

• biblioteca pública = public library
• biblioteca ambulante = mobile library
• biblioteca universitaria = university library
• biblioteca de préstamo = lending library
• biblioteca de consulta = reference library

Someone who works in a library is called a bibliotecario (male librarian) or bibliotecaria (female librarian).

In addition to its more general meaning of a public library, biblioteca in Spanish can also encompass a broader sense, referring to a personal library or the room where one stores and keeps books.

It would be understandable if you assumed that librería was the Spanish word for library, given the close resemblance in spelling and pronunciation. However, despite their shared etymology, librería is actually used to refer to a bookshop or bookstore in Spanish.

Library and librería serve as an excellent example of false friends — words that appear similar in form across two distinct languages but carry different meanings.

A bookshelf or bookcase can also be called librería but it is more common to hear the terms estante (shelf) / estantería (shelving) instead.

To add a layer of confusion, a bookshelf or bookcase can also be referred to as biblioteca in addition to librería.

Some common phrases featuring the word biblioteca are:

• Sacar un libro de la biblioteca = To borrow a book from the library
• Devolver un libro a la biblioteca =To return a book to the library
• Consultar en la biblioteca = To consult or look up information in the library