diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/stations.ts b/frontend/src/lib/stations.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2da1526
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/stations.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+import { readdir, readFile, stat, access } from 'node:fs/promises';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { parse as parseYaml } from 'yaml';
+import type { Station } from './types.ts';
+
+const ID_RE = /^[a-z0-9-]+$/;
+const COVER_NAMES = ['cover.jpg', 'cover.png', 'cover.webp'];
+
+async function fileExists(p: string): Promise<boolean> {
+  try {
+    await access(p);
+    return true;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
+export async function readMeta(libraryRoot: string, id: string): Promise<Station | null> {
+  if (!ID_RE.test(id)) return null;
+  const dir = path.join(libraryRoot, id);
+  let raw: string;
+  try {
+    raw = await readFile(path.join(dir, '_meta.yml'), 'utf8');
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+  let parsed: unknown;
+  try {
+    parsed = parseYaml(raw);
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.warn(`[stations] malformed _meta.yml for ${id}:`, (err as Error).message);
+    return null;
+  }
+  if (!parsed || typeof parsed !== 'object') {
+    console.warn(`[stations] _meta.yml for ${id} is not an object`);
+    return null;
+  }
+  const m = parsed as Record<string, unknown>;
+  const name = typeof m.name === 'string' ? m.name : null;
+  const description = typeof m.description === 'string' ? m.description : '';
+  const color = typeof m.color === 'string' ? m.color : '#888';
+  const tags = Array.isArray(m.tags) ? m.tags.filter((t): t is string => typeof t === 'string') : [];
+  if (!name) {
+    console.warn(`[stations] _meta.yml for ${id} missing 'name'`);
+    return null;
+  }
+  let cover: string | null = null;
+  for (const c of COVER_NAMES) {
+    if (await fileExists(path.join(dir, c))) {
+      cover = `/api/stations/${id}/cover`;
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+  return {
+    id,
+    name,
+    description,
+    color,
+    tags,
+    mounts: { mp3: `/${id}.mp3`, opus: `/${id}.opus` },
+    cover,
+  };
+}
+
+export async function listStations(libraryRoot: string): Promise<Station[]> {
+  let entries: string[];
+  try {
+    entries = await readdir(libraryRoot);
+  } catch {
+    return [];
+  }
+  const out: Station[] = [];
+  for (const id of entries.sort()) {
+    const full = path.join(libraryRoot, id);
+    let s;
+    try {
+      s = await stat(full);
+    } catch {
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (!s.isDirectory()) continue;
+    const meta = await readMeta(libraryRoot, id);
+    if (meta) out.push(meta);
+  }
+  return out;
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/tests/fixtures/library/alpha/_meta.yml b/frontend/src/tests/fixtures/library/alpha/_meta.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..32485f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/tests/fixtures/library/alpha/_meta.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+name: Alpha
+description: alpha station
+color: '#ff0000'
+tags: [test, alpha]
diff --git a/frontend/src/tests/fixtures/library/bad-yaml/_meta.yml b/frontend/src/tests/fixtures/library/bad-yaml/_meta.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d78037a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/tests/fixtures/library/bad-yaml/_meta.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+name: "unterminated
+description: never closes
diff --git a/frontend/src/tests/fixtures/library/beta/_meta.yml b/frontend/src/tests/fixtures/library/beta/_meta.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b716328
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/tests/fixtures/library/beta/_meta.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+name: Beta
+description: beta station
+color: '#00ff00'
+tags: [test, beta]
diff --git a/frontend/src/tests/fixtures/library/beta/cover.jpg b/frontend/src/tests/fixtures/library/beta/cover.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f6f3e8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/tests/fixtures/library/beta/cover.jpg
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+fake cover
diff --git a/frontend/src/tests/fixtures/library/empty/.gitkeep b/frontend/src/tests/fixtures/library/empty/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/frontend/src/tests/stations.test.ts b/frontend/src/tests/stations.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..890f875
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/tests/stations.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+import { listStations, readMeta } from '@lib/stations';
+
+const HERE = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
+const FIXTURES = path.resolve(HERE, 'fixtures/library');
+
+describe('readMeta', () => {
+  it('returns null for missing _meta.yml', async () => {
+    expect(await readMeta(FIXTURES, 'empty')).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('returns null for malformed yaml (logged, not thrown)', async () => {
+    expect(await readMeta(FIXTURES, 'bad-yaml')).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('returns null when the id has uppercase letters (regex rejection, no fs read)', async () => {
+    expect(await readMeta(FIXTURES, 'NotLower')).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('parses a valid station', async () => {
+    const s = await readMeta(FIXTURES, 'alpha');
+    expect(s).toEqual({
+      id: 'alpha',
+      name: 'Alpha',
+      description: 'alpha station',
+      color: '#ff0000',
+      tags: ['test', 'alpha'],
+      mounts: { mp3: '/alpha.mp3', opus: '/alpha.opus' },
+      cover: null,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('sets cover when a cover file exists', async () => {
+    const s = await readMeta(FIXTURES, 'beta');
+    expect(s?.cover).toBe('/api/stations/beta/cover');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('listStations', () => {
+  it('returns only valid stations, sorted by id', async () => {
+    const ss = await listStations(FIXTURES);
+    expect(ss.map((s) => s.id)).toEqual(['alpha', 'beta']);
+  });
+
+  it('skips empty and bad-yaml folders', async () => {
+    const ss = await listStations(FIXTURES);
+    expect(ss.find((s) => s.id === 'empty')).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(ss.find((s) => s.id === 'bad-yaml')).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('handles a non-existent root gracefully', async () => {
+    expect(await listStations('/no/such/dir')).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});