# What is the lib/ folder in my rails app for?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-is-the-lib-folder-in-my-rails-app-for/177570>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [October 20, 2009, 12:28pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-is-the-lib-folder-in-my-rails-app-for/177570 "2009-10-20T12:28:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![builtbysimple](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@builtbysimple](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/builtbysimple)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 12:28pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-is-the-lib-folder-in-my-rails-app-for/177570/1 "2009-10-20T12:28:44Z")

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hi all,

When I generate a rails app, there is a lib/ folder underneath it. Now  
what is exactly this lib/ folder for? When I put the rack library  
there, it is not scanned by RoR. Actually to expand this matter, I  
want to be able to put non-Rails plugin to be available for Rails and  
my app (e.g including rack, arel etc). But it seems RoR does not scan  
it. So what is it exactly for?

Kind regards.

–  
Certified Scrum Master  
[http://blog.scrum8.com](http://blog.scrum8.com) | [http://jobs.scrum8.com](http://jobs.scrum8.com) |  
[http://twitter.com/scrum8](http://twitter.com/scrum8)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![builtbysimple](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@builtbysimple](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/builtbysimple)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 1:18pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-is-the-lib-folder-in-my-rails-app-for/177570/2 "2009-10-20T13:18:29Z")

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On Tue, Oct 20, 2009 at 3:26 AM, Joshua P.  
[removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid)wrote:

> Kind regards.
> 
> –  
> Certified Scrum Master  
> [http://blog.scrum8.com](http://blog.scrum8.com) | [http://jobs.scrum8.com](http://jobs.scrum8.com) |  
> [http://twitter.com/scrum8](http://twitter.com/scrum8)

Joshua, I would recommend reading p. 225 - 226 of “Agile Web D.  
with  
Rails 3rd”.

-Conrad

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![builtbysimple](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@builtbysimple](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/builtbysimple)\
**Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 3:47pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/what-is-the-lib-folder-in-my-rails-app-for/177570/3 "2009-10-20T15:47:47Z")

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I think Conrad meant pages 255-256. Simply put, lib/ is where you put  
code (or subdirectories with code) that does not normally live in  
models, views, or controllers.