Albertsons Library’s recovery has two timelines: the fourth floor reopened in October after an 11-month closure, while staff continue to return books to the third floor. Students can once again use the fourth-floor study rooms and new furniture; one floor below, boxes are still being unpacked and a collection of nearly a million books is being reshelved.
The closure traces back to 2025, when a ceiling pipe burst and water seeped onto the third floor, damaging both the third and fourth floors and forcing staff to remove materials from both levels, according to Albertsons Library. The library had warned that collections on both floors would stay inaccessible through the Spring and Summer 2026 terms, with a return anticipated sometime between Fall 2026 and Spring 2027. Repairs included carpet replacement, repainting and ceiling renovations, and books were moved from the fourth floor down to the third during the work, as reported by The Arbiter.
Natalie Castillo, access services manager at the library, told the student paper that repairs were complete by the end of last spring semester, though staff could not get into the building for much of the summer because of electrical work. The library also received insurance money for the repairs about a year after the pipe burst, per Castillo. The fourth floor opened as of early October, and the library says work has since moved to the east side of the third floor before shifting to the remaining collections there, according to Albertsons Library.
The Fourth Floor’s New Study Space
The fourth floor combines repairs with updates to the study space. According to Boise State News, it now has new carpeting and paint, updated furniture, more reservable study rooms and a service desk. Student fees paid for furniture that replaced pieces more than 35 years old.
Student surveys helped guide the redesign toward study areas, group work and flexible seating, The Arbiter reported. Castillo and her team also added seating intended for longer study sessions and a range of places to work.
Annabelle Walthall, a freshman studying health studies, told The Arbiter that she likes the seating and river views on the fourth floor. She said she would like more seats near the north-side windows.
Books Are Returning to the Third Floor in Stages
While the fourth floor welcomes students back, the third floor remains closed to the public as construction and reshelving continue, according to Boise State News. The library has no official reopening date for that floor, as reported by Albertsons Library, but Castillo said the library is aiming to reopen it midway through the upcoming spring semester.
Returning nearly a million books to the two floors takes more than moving boxes: staff must put each item back in call-number order, and progress depends on staffing, building readiness and completion of each section, according to Albertsons Library. While stored, books pulled during repairs were marked in the online catalog as in process and unavailable to request. As staff scan items back into the system, patrons can place holds on titles that have returned to third-floor shelves, even though the floor remains closed to browsing.
Freshman English teaching student Anna Lindaman has been helping reshelve the third-floor collection. The Arbiter reported that a photo taken Oct. 28 showed boxes still on the floor as she worked through the shelves. Patrons can place holds on books that staff have scanned back into the system, even while the floor remains off-limits for browsing.
What Digital Circulation Measures
The National Center for Education Statistics’ IPEDS data define digital or electronic circulation as use of digital titles, whether viewed, downloaded or streamed. That definition describes how digital use is counted, but it does not establish how print and digital circulation have changed across U.S. academic libraries or whether digital titles replaced physical books unavailable during Boise State’s repairs.
