What does a library mean other than a place for a collection of books?

Does the word "library" mean other than a place for a collection of books as in the following sentence?

Instead of purchasing what they need like a normal customer, wardrobers turn retail stores into their own private libraries.

Solution 1:

In your sentence, they are saying that "wardrobers" treat the retail stores as they would a library. When you go to a library, you do not purchase a book, you simply borrow it for a bit, and then return it when you are done with it. Similarly, the wardrobers mentioned "borrow" clothing from the retail stores by purchasing them, and then returning the clothing again to the stores after they are finished.

This leads me to believe that the article is talking about people who regularly purchase clothing, leave the tags on, use them, and then return the clothing for a refund after they have worn them.

Solution 2:

The definition of library in M-W is most illuminating:

a place in which literary, musical, artistic, or reference materials (as books, manuscripts, recordings, or films) are kept for use but not for sale [emphasis added]

In sharp contrast, retail store means

(business) a shop which sells goods to individual customers

Retail stores intend to sell goods. They do not intend to lend goods for no fee. According to the quote, wardrobers are subverting the very purpose of retail stores and treating them like lending libraries.

Solution 3:

The word library here means exactly as given in the dictionary.

However, the key word here is turn.

The sentence is literary and requires the reader to go metaphorical in understanding it.

The expression turn here is used to suggest 'convert' i.e., 'treat it as if it were'. As such, the idea is to suggest that people behave just as they would in their personal library -- pick up what suits the moment, use it, and replace it like nothing happened. They do not bother to purchase.

The trend among some of the fashion-conscious people who cannot afford to, or do not like to, spend big money on clothes and accessories, is that they are increasingly picking up trendy items from stores, using them for the evening and merrily returning them the next day.