diff --git a/stdlib/io/io.cue b/stdlib/io/io.cue
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..26389fd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/stdlib/io/io.cue
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+package io
+
+import (
+	"dagger.io/dagger"
+	"dagger.io/dagger/op"
+)
+
+#File: {
+	from: dagger.#Artifact
+	path: string
+	read: *null | {
+		format: op.#Export.format
+		data: {
+			_
+			#up: [
+				op.#Load & {
+					"from": from
+				},
+				op.#Export & {
+					source:   path
+					"format": format
+				},
+			]
+		}
+	}
+	write: *null | {
+		// FIXME: support writing in multiple formats
+		// FIXME: append
+		data: _
+		#up: [
+			op.#Load & {"from": from},
+			op.#WriteFile & {
+				dest:     path
+				contents: data
+			},
+		]
+	}
+}