UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State University Libraries’ spring 2026 semester operating hours for its University-wide locations will begin Monday, Jan. 12, continuing through Friday, May 1. Most locations also will be closed Sunday, Dec. 20, 2025, through Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, with a few Commonwealth Campus Libraries remaining open Dec. 22–23.
The University Libraries follows Penn State’s academic calendar and observes holidays, scheduled breaks and related events as well as announcements regarding weather delays and closures. Operating hours at libraries on Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses vary and are posted on the University Libraries website hours and locations page and on each location’s landing page once finalized and approved.
Pattee Library and Paterno Library
Hours at Pattee Library and Paterno Library will be adjusted for the last week of fall 2025 classes and finals week to support University Park students preparing for their final exams, similar to the extended hours observed at the end of the spring 2025 semester. Extended late-night hours will occur Sundays through Thursdays, Dec. 7–18, operating until 2 a.m. each of the following mornings plus earlier openings of 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 13–14.
Pattee Library and Paterno Library will close at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 19, and will be closed to the public beginning Dec. 20, reopening at 9 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.
University Libraries January, spring hours in detail
Spring 2026 semester operating hours begin on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, and continue through the last day of spring classes, Friday, May 1, for most locations. Most locations also will observe a week of abbreviated hours prior to the Jan. 12 start of the spring 2026 semester.
All locations will be closed for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, and most, but not all, will be closed on Sunday, Jan. 18, and the weekends before and after Penn State’s spring break, March 7–8 and March 14–15. Most locations also will observe abbreviated hours of operation during spring break weekdays March 9–13.
Hours at University Park branch libraries will remain the same for finals week in spring 2026, while Pattee Library and Paterno Library will again offer extended late-night hours Sundays through Thursdays April 26–May 8, operating until 2 a.m. each of the following mornings plus earlier openings of 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, May 2–3.
When planning library hours, University Libraries teams review data related to library usage, staffing and budget concerns. The process considers anonymized user data including but not limited to gate counts, circulation data and reference analytics as well as the library budget, the University community’s needs — such as user preferences, services and materials — and staffing at University Park library locations.
Library users are encouraged to check the University Libraries hours and locations page for operating hours prior to visiting any Penn State library during winter break, and to review the Libraries alerts page during inclement weather for any announced changes in operations.