Demander son chemin vers la bibliothèque en français

What is the difference between “librairie” and “bibliothèque”?

Une librairie is a bookshop, the place that sells books. The library, where you borrow them, is une bibliothèque. English speakers reach for librairie by reflex and end up buying instead of borrowing. The clue sits inside the longer word: biblio- is Greek for “book” and -thèque means a store or case, the same ending as discothèque.

Une bibliothèque is also the furniture — a bookcase — so j’ai acheté une bibliothèque means you bought a shelf unit, not a building. The person who runs a bookshop is un(e) libraire; the one who runs the library is un(e) bibliothécaire.