NASA's largest library to permanently close on Jan 2

NASA's largest library at the Goddard Space Flight Center will close permanently on Jan 2. The library situated in Maryland has been a central research hub for the global space agency since 1959 and supported the development of major missions, including the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope. 

Jacob Richmond, a NASA spokesman, informed that the agency will review the library holdings over the next two months, and some of the material will be stored in a government warehouse, while the remaining items will be 'tossed away'.

According to a statement posted on the website of the Goddard Engineers, Scientists and Technicians Association, specialized equipment and electronics designed to test spacecraft have already been removed and thrown out.

“This process is an established method that is used by federal agencies to properly dispose of federally owned property,” said Richmond.

The closure of the 100,000-volume library is part of the Donald Trump administration's reorganization drive, under which 13 buildings and over 100 science and engineering laboratories will be shut down by March 2026.

 The closure of the library comes in the wake of the shutdown of seven other NASA libraries in the US since 2022, with three of them shutting down in 2025.

Senator Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland, said he will continue to raise his voice against the Trump administration's haphazard closure of the library.

“The Trump Administration has spent the last year attacking NASA Goddard and its work force and threatening our efforts to explore space, deepen our understanding of Earth, and spur technological advancements that make our economy stronger and nation safer,” said Van Hollen.