diff --git a/src/doc/doc/about/about_libraries.xml b/src/doc/doc/about/about_libraries.xml
index a3b9fb8c6..c41e52844 100644
--- a/src/doc/doc/about/about_libraries.xml
+++ b/src/doc/doc/about/about_libraries.xml
@@ -253,6 +253,15 @@ define("B", "b.gds");</pre>
 
     </li>
 
+    <li>
+
+      <p><b>description</b>: Specifies a description for that library.
+      </p>
+
+      <pre>define("A", "a.gds", description="Library A");</pre>
+
+    </li>
+
   </ul>
 
 </doc>
diff --git a/src/lay/lay/layLibraryController.cc b/src/lay/lay/layLibraryController.cc
index 4b668fbdc..a95b5da3e 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/layLibraryController.cc
+++ b/src/lay/lay/layLibraryController.cc
@@ -320,6 +320,7 @@ public:
       for (auto k = kwargs->begin (); k != kwargs->end (); ++k) {
 
         static const std::string replicate_key ("replicate");
+        static const std::string description_key ("description");
         static const std::string technology_key ("technology");
         static const std::string technologies_key ("technologies");
 
@@ -327,6 +328,10 @@ public:
 
           fi.replicate = k->second.to_bool ();
 
+        } else if (k->first == description_key) {
+
+          fi.description = k->second.to_string ();
+
         } else if (k->first == technology_key) {
 
           fi.tech.clear ();
@@ -465,6 +470,7 @@ LibraryController::read_libs (const std::vector<LibraryController::LibFileInfo>
 
         std::unique_ptr<db::FileBasedLibrary> lib (new db::FileBasedLibrary (lib_path, im->name));
         lib->set_technologies (im->tech);
+        lib->set_description (im->description);
         lib->set_replicate (im->replicate);
 
         tl::log << "Reading library '" << lib_path << "'";
@@ -493,6 +499,7 @@ LibraryController::read_libs (const std::vector<LibraryController::LibFileInfo>
           LibInfo li;
           li.name = libname;
           li.time = fi.lastModified ();
+          li.description = im->description;
           li.tech = im->tech;
           li.replicate = im->replicate;
           new_lib_files.insert (std::make_pair (lib_path, li));
diff --git a/src/lay/lay/layLibraryController.h b/src/lay/lay/layLibraryController.h
index 54c345a02..0fd26634e 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/layLibraryController.h
+++ b/src/lay/lay/layLibraryController.h
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ public:
   {
     LibFileInfo () : name (), path (), replicate (true) { }
     std::string name;
+    std::string description;
     std::string path;
     std::set<std::string> tech;
     bool replicate;
@@ -135,8 +136,9 @@ private slots:
 private:
   struct LibInfo
   {
-    LibInfo () : name (), time (), tech (), replicate (true) { }
+    LibInfo () : name (), description (), time (), tech (), replicate (true) { }
     std::string name;
+    std::string description;
     QDateTime time;
     std::set<std::string> tech;
     bool replicate;
diff --git a/src/lay/unit_tests/layLibraryControllerTests.cc b/src/lay/unit_tests/layLibraryControllerTests.cc
index b5785dcfa..782f19ef7 100644
--- a/src/lay/unit_tests/layLibraryControllerTests.cc
+++ b/src/lay/unit_tests/layLibraryControllerTests.cc
@@ -37,11 +37,13 @@ TEST (1)
   EXPECT_EQ (file_info[0].name, "");
   EXPECT_EQ (file_info[0].path, tl::combine_path (tl::absolute_path (lib_file), "noname.gds"));
   EXPECT_EQ (file_info[0].replicate, true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (file_info[0].description, "");
   EXPECT_EQ (tl::join (file_info[0].tech.begin (), file_info[0].tech.end (), ","), "T1");
 
   EXPECT_EQ (file_info[1].name, "L2");
   EXPECT_EQ (file_info[1].path, tl::absolute_file_path (lib_file) + ".zzz");
   EXPECT_EQ (file_info[1].replicate, true);
+  EXPECT_EQ (file_info[1].description, "Library L2");
   EXPECT_EQ (file_info[1].tech.size (), size_t (0));
 
   EXPECT_EQ (file_info[2].name, "L3");
diff --git a/testdata/lay/a.libdef b/testdata/lay/a.libdef
index ff4bc56af..98d5b756e 100644
--- a/testdata/lay/a.libdef
+++ b/testdata/lay/a.libdef
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 
 # A comment
 define("noname.gds");
-define("L2", file + ".zzz", technology = "");
+define("L2", file + ".zzz", technology = "", description = "Library L2");
 define("L3", "subdir/l3.gds", technologies = [ "T2", "T3" ], replicate = false);