In 1972, Hummel Architects was hired to remodel the Salt Lake Hardware warehouse into a new library for the City of Boise. For the city, purchasing and renovating the Salt Lake Hardware building was more cost-effective than renovating the Library’s previous home at the Carnegie Public Library on Washington Street (another Hummel project).

This adaptive reuse of a centrally-located warehouse on Capitol Blvd. would usher in future warehouse conversions throughout the 1980s in the area, including 8th Street Marketplace (now BoDo).

The new library opened on April 27, 1973 and this building still houses the Main Library and is supported by four branch locations throughout Boise. These photos show the Library as it was on opening day including the main lobby area, the children’s room, and the sunken story nook.