The term library in the context of software predates software repositories.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Library_(computing)
It’s basically as old as the computer itself.
this post was submitted on 18 Jan 2026
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Literal libraries of punch cards.
what are sections, chapters, indices? Who's the librarian?
we don't need to go all the way into a metaphor
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I think repository makes more sense than library. A 'repo' is also a large storage of something that is very often indexed and catalogued for easy retrieval as well. It also at least 'feels' more appropriate for something usually remotely accessed, like package manager repos.
Of course, my well has been thoroughly poisoned on this topic, but I generally agree with others that an analogy doesn't and shouldn't have to carry through all the way.
The metapor is that the individual package is a library of exported functions (the books). Package managers are more like inter-library loans in this metaphor, but I think that is pushing the analogy further than is useful.