On January 2, the Goddard Space Flight Center, which contains the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) largest library, closed after a number of cuts by the second Trump administration.
On December 9, in-person library services, including services that allowed researchers to check out books, were closed.
Despite NASA administrator Jared Isaacman’s claim that the closure of the library was part of a consolidation scheme in which the physical and digital data would remain accessible, several employees have brought attention to the resulting disruption. A Goddard research scientist claimed:
“A lot of the services provided are not just the physical media, but also having those digital access,” Kyle explained. “When you need it, you definitely need it, and it’s going to, you know, slow things down and make things inconvenient.”
NBC Washington
While the 2022 consolidation plan called for the demolition of some facilities, and the creation of others, it did not specifically call for the library to fully close. The Trump administration used the government shutdown as a pretext to expedite the closure of the library, as well as other facilities in a haphazard way, according to the employees and their union. The Trump administration has not begun working on the new buildings proposed by the 2022 plan.
“Specialized equipment and electronics designed to test spacecraft,” were thrown out. The other facilities closed include a cafeteria and some offices. This also limits the space in which researchers can meet and discuss their work.
After the closure, researchers were unable to access online journals that they rely on for their jobs. Worsening matters, the Space Science Data Coordinated Archive was offline, even at the time of closing, further preventing access to digital information. Much of the physical material in the library has not been digitized, and may be lost to history.
The Trump administration has launched a sustained attack on NASA, proposing to slash its budget by 25 percent in its June 2025 budget. Nineteen operating missions would be at risk if the budget cuts are implemented.
