Thu Jan 01 13:36:50 UTC 2026: NASA’s Flagship Library to Close Amid Cuts, Sparking Concern

Greenbelt, MD – NASA’s largest library, located at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, is set to permanently close on Friday, January 2nd. The closure, part of a larger reorganization initiative by the Trump administration, will see the shuttering of 13 buildings and over 100 science and engineering labs on the 1,270-acre campus by March 2026.

The Goddard Information and Collaboration Center has served as a crucial resource for the agency since 1959, supporting the development of groundbreaking missions like the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes.

According to NASA spokesman Jacob Richmond, the library’s 100,000-volume collection will be reviewed over the next two months. Some materials will be stored in a government warehouse, while the remainder, as reported by The New York Times, will be discarded. Specialized equipment used for spacecraft testing has already been removed and thrown out, a process Richmond claims is a standard procedure for federal agencies disposing of property.

The closure marks the latest in a series of NASA library shutdowns, with seven others closing since 2022, including three in 2025 alone.

The move has drawn sharp criticism, with Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) expressing deep concern. “The Trump Administration has spent the last year attacking NASA Goddard and its work force,” said Van Hollen. “I will continue to push back on any actions that impact Goddard’s critical mission.”

Following the closure, researchers will be directed to digital “Ask a Librarian” services and inter-library loan programs to access research materials. The Goddard Space Flight Center, named after rocketry pioneer Robert H. Goddard, was NASA’s first space flight complex, established in 1959.

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