diff --git a/beets/library.py b/beets/library.py
index 386dff15b..b042dfc41 100644
--- a/beets/library.py
+++ b/beets/library.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 import sqlite3, os, sys, operator
-import beets.tag
+from beets.tag import MediaFile, FileTypeError
 from string import Template
 
 # Fields in the "items" table; all the metadata available for items in the
@@ -23,15 +23,181 @@ metadata_fields = [
     ('bpm',      'int'),
     ('comp',     'bool')
 ]
+item_fields = [
+    ('id',      'integer primary key'),
+    ('path',    'text')
+] + metadata_fields
+metadata_keys = map(operator.itemgetter(0), metadata_fields)
+item_keys = map(operator.itemgetter(0), item_fields)
+
+class LibraryError(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
+
+
+##############
+#### ITEM ####
+##############
+
+class Item(object):
+    def __init__(self, values, library=None):
+        self.library = library
+        self.__fillrecord(values)
+    
+    def __fillrecord(self, values):
+        self.record = {}  
+        for key in item_keys:
+            try:
+                self.record[key] = values[key]
+            except KeyError:
+                pass # don't use values that aren't present
+
+
+    #### field accessors ####
+
+    def __getattr__(self, name):
+        if name in item_keys:
+            return self.record[name]
+            # maybe fetch if it's not available
+        else:
+            return self.__dict__[name]
+
+    def __setattr__(self, name, value):
+        if name in item_keys:
+            self.record[name] = value
+            if self.library: # we're "connected" to a library; keep it updated
+                c = self.library.conn.cursor()
+                c.execute('update items set ?=? where id=?',
+                          (self.colname, obj.record[self.colname],
+                           obj.record['id']))
+                c.close()
+        else:
+            self.__dict__[name] = value
+    
+    
+    #### interaction with the database ####
+    
+    def load(self, fetch_id=None):
+        """Refresh the item's metadata from the library database. If fetch_id
+        is not specified, use the current item's id."""
+        
+        if not self.library:
+            raise LibraryError('no library to load from')
+        
+        if load_id is None:
+            load_id = self.record['id']
+        
+        c = self.library.conn.cursor()
+        c.execute('select * from items where id=?', (load_id,))
+        self.__fillrecord(c.fetchone())
+        c.close()
+    
+    def store(self, store_id=None):
+        """Save the item's metadata into the library database. If store_id is
+        not specified, use the current item's id."""
+        
+        if not self.library:
+            raise LibraryError('no library to store to')
+            
+        if store_id is None:
+            store_id = self.record['id']
+ 
+        # build assignments for query
+        assignments = ','.join( ['?=?'] * (len(item_fields)-1) )
+        subvars = []
+        for key in item_keys:
+            if key != 'id':
+                subvars += [key, self.record[key]]
+
+        # finish the query
+        query = 'update items set ' + assignments + ' where id=?'
+        subvars.append(self.record['id'])
+
+        c = self.library.conn.cursor()
+        c.execute(query, subvars)
+        c.close()
+
+    def add(self):
+        """Add the item as a new object to the library database. The id field
+        will be updated; the new id is returned."""
+        
+        if not self.library:
+            raise LibraryError('no library to add to')
+            
+        # build essential parts of query
+        columns = ','.join([key for key in item_keys if key != 'id'])
+        values = ','.join( ['?'] * (len(item_keys)-1) )
+        subvars = []
+        for key in item_keys:
+            if key != 'id':
+                subvars.append(self.record[key])
+        
+        # issue query
+        c = self.library.conn.cursor()
+        query = 'insert into items (' + columns + ') values (' + values + ')'
+        c.execute(query, subvars)
+        new_id = c.lastrowid
+        c.close()
+        
+        self.record['id'] = new_id
+        return new_id
+    
+    
+    #### interaction with files ####
+    
+    def read(self, read_path=None):
+        """Read the metadata from a file. If no read_path is provided, the
+        item's path is used. If the item has a library, it is stored after
+        the metadata is read."""
+        
+        if read_path is None:
+            read_path = self.record['path']
+        f = MediaFile(read_path)
+        
+        for key in metadata_keys:
+            self.record[key] = getattr(f, key)
+        self.record['path'] = read_path
+        
+        if self.library:
+            self.add()
+    
+    def write(self, write_path=None):
+        """Writes the item's metadata to a file. If no write_path is specified,
+        the metadata is written to the path stored in the item."""
+        
+        if write_path is None:
+            write_path = self.record['path']
+        f = MediaFile(write_path)
+        
+        for key in metadata_keys:
+            setattr(f, key, self.record[key])
+        
+        f.save_tags()
+    
+    @classmethod
+    def from_path(cls, path, library=None):
+        """Creates a new item from the media file at the specified path. If a
+        library is specified, add it to that library."""
+        i = cls({}, library=library)
+        i.read(path)
+        return i
+
+
+
+#################
+#### LIBRARY ####
+#################
 
 class Library(object):
     def __init__(self, path='library.blb'):
         self.path = path
         self.conn = sqlite3.connect(self.path)
         self.conn.row_factory = sqlite3.Row
-        self.setup()
+            # this way we can access our SELECT results like dictionaries
+        self.__setup()
     
-    def setup(self):
+    def __setup(self):
         "Set up the schema of the library file."
         
         # options (library data) table
@@ -42,126 +208,56 @@ class Library(object):
         );"""
         
         # items (things in the library) table
-        setup_sql += """create table if not exists items (
-                            path text primary key, """
-        setup_sql += ', '.join(map(' '.join, metadata_fields))
-        setup_sql += ' );'
+        setup_sql += 'create table if not exists items ('
+        setup_sql += ', '.join(map(' '.join, item_fields))
+        setup_sql += ');'
         
         c = self.conn.cursor()
         c.executescript(setup_sql)
         c.close()
         self.conn.commit()
     
-    # DATABASE UTILITY FUNCTIONS
-    def select(self, where='', subvars=[], columns='*'):
-        "Look up items in the library. Returns a cursor."
-        c = self.conn.cursor()
-        if where.strip(): # we have a where clause
-            where = ' where ' + where
-        c.execute('select ' + columns + ' from items' + where,
-                    subvars)
-        return c
-    def selects_any(self, where, subvars):
-        "Returns True iff the SELECT query matches any rows."
-        c = self.select(where, subvars)
-        out = (c.fetchone() is not None)
-        c.close()
     
-    # FILE/DB UTILITY FUNCTIONS
-    def add_file(self, path):
-        "Adds a new file to the library."
-        
-        # build query part for metadata fields
-        columns = ','.join(map(operator.itemgetter(0),metadata_fields))
-        values = ','.join(['?']*len(metadata_fields))
-        subvars = []
-        f = beets.tag.MediaFile(path)
-        for field, value in metadata_fields:
-            subvars.append(getattr(f, field))
-        
-        # other fields
-        columns += ',path'
-        values += ',?'
-        subvars.append(path)
-        
-        # issue query
-        c = self.conn.cursor()
-        query = 'insert into items (' + columns + ') values (' + values + ')'
-        c.execute(query, subvars)
-        c.close()
-
-    def update_file(self, path):
-        "Updates a file already in the database with the file's metadata."
-        
-        # build query part for metadata fields
-        assignments = ','.join(['?=?']*len(metadata_fields))
-        subvars = []
-        f = beets.tag.MediaFile(path)
-        for field, value in metadata_fields:
-            subvars += [field, getattr(f, field)]
-        
-        # build the full query itself
-        query = 'update items set ' + assignments + ' where path=?'
-        subvars.append(path)
-        
-        c = self.conn.cursor()
-        c.execute(query, subvars)
-        c.close()
+    #### utility functions ####
     
-    # MISC. UTILITY FUNCTIONS
-    def mynormpath(self, path):
+    def __normpath(self, path):
         """Provide the canonical form of the path suitable for storing in the
         database. In the future, options may modify the behavior of this
         method."""
         # force absolute paths:
         # os.path.normpath(os.path.abspath(os.path.expanduser(path)))
         return os.path.normpath(os.path.expanduser(path))
-    def log(self, msg):
+    def __log(self, msg):
         """Print a log message."""
         print >>sys.stderr, msg
-    def pprint(self, item, form='$artist - $title'):
-        print Template(form).substitute(item)
     
-    def add_path(self, path, clobber=False):
+    
+    #### main interface ####
+    
+    def add(self, path, clobber=False):
         """Add a file to the library or recursively search a directory and add
         all its contents."""
-        if os.path.isdir(path):
-            # recurse into all directory contents
+        
+        if os.path.isdir(path): # directory
+            # recurse into contents
             for ent in os.listdir(path):
-                self.add_path(path + os.sep + ent, clobber)
-        elif os.path.isfile(path):
+                self.add(path + os.sep + ent, clobber)
+        
+        elif os.path.isfile(path): # normal file
+            #fixme avoid clobbering/duplicates!
             # add _if_ it's legible (otherwise ignore but say so)
-            if self.selects_any('path=?', (self.mynormpath(path),)):
-                if not clobber:
-                    self.log(path + ' already in database, skipping')
-                    return
-                else:
-                    self.update_file(self.mynormpath(path))
-            else:
-                try:
-                    self.add_file(self.mynormpath(path))
-                except beets.tag.FileTypeError:
-                    self.log(path + ' of unknown type, skipping')
-        elif not os.path.exists(path):
+            try:
+                Item.from_path(self.__normpath(path), self)
+            except FileTypeError:
+                self.__log(path + ' of unknown type, skipping')
+        
+        elif not os.path.exists(path): # no file
             raise IOError('file not found: ' + path)
+        
+        else: # something else: special file?
+            self.__log(path + ' special file, skipping')
     
-    # high-level (and command-line) interface
-    def add(self, *paths):
-        for path in paths:
-            self.add_path(path, clobber=False)
-            self.conn.commit()
-    def remove(self, *criteria):
-        raise NotImplementedError
-    def update(self, *criteria):
-        #c = self.select(criteria, [], 'path')
-        #for f in c:
-        #    self.update_file(f.path)
-        #c.close()
-        raise NotImplementedError
-    def write(self, *criteria):
-        raise NotImplementedError
-    def list(self, *criteria):
-        c = self.select(' '.join(criteria), [])
-        for row in c:
-            self.pprint(row)
-        c.close()
\ No newline at end of file
+    def save(self):
+        """Writes the library to disk (completing a sqlite transaction)."""
+        self.conn.commit()
+    
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bts.py b/bts.py
index 9a581cfa2..4cc274f0b 100755
--- a/bts.py
+++ b/bts.py
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
 from optparse import OptionParser
 from beets import Library
 
+def add(lib, paths):
+    for path in paths:
+        lib.add(path)
+    lib.save()
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     # parse options
     usage = """usage: %prog [options] command
@@ -25,16 +30,16 @@ command is one of: add, remove, update, write, list, help"""
     
     # choose which command to invoke
     avail_commands = [
-        (lib.add,    ['add']),
-        (lib.remove, ['remove', 'rm']),
-        (lib.update, ['update', 'up']),
-        (lib.write,  ['write', 'wr', 'w']),
-        (lib.list,   ['list', 'ls']),
+        (add,        ['add']),
+        #(remove,     ['remove', 'rm']),
+        #(update,     ['update', 'up']),
+        #(write,      ['write', 'wr', 'w']),
+        #(list,       ['list', 'ls']),
         (help,       ['help', 'h'])
     ]
     for test_command in avail_commands:
         if cmd in test_command[1]:
-            (test_command[0])(*args)
+            (test_command[0])(lib, args)
             op.exit()
     
     # no command matched