The Great Goddard Library Debate
Keith’s note: [Preface: I was going to post something about the GSFC Library closure next week. I just came across this on Twitter – posted earlier today. NASA PAO no longer wants to send me things so I may be behind posting things from now on.] That said, here are two tweets from Jared Isaacman on the matter. This issue arose weeks ago. A preemptive post like these tweets at that time would have stopped news stories and lurid headlines in their tracks – or at least dampened them. Pro tip to NASA PAO: get out ahead of your controversies. Don’t just wait until they fester online and start to grow and then find yourself doing a diving catch during the holidays when things start to heat up. Tweets below:
6 responses to “The Great Goddard Library Debate”
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I hope he wasn’t mis-informed about the plan to close the physical space. 2022 Master Plan is here: https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/gsfc_master_plan_digest_feb2022_lo_res_website.pdf?emrc=e0f7a2
And B21 is still there.
B21 is supposed to close soon. I don’t know why they claim it’s due to the Master Plan. The credit union in B21 just reopened after a full renovation, if this has been planned since 2019 then they wouldn’t have wasted the time and money.
Maybe the new admin needs honest convos with employees.
Maybe he can look into all the sources that provided info to the article. NASA is one source of info. What about the other sources cited in the article? They are closer to the library…
Maybe he should look into why so many people took the DRP or retired early from GSFC.
Maybe also look at the impact of not just the Library’s futuee. Let’s talk about the Gym. Health Unit. And even the discussion of the possible (vs the above real) closures of vending machines and cafeterias?
How does all of this square up with excitement and motivation at a center? These resources give people who work there both meaning and connection.
As a reminder, NASA Goddard already left books in dumpsters and on the curb with GISS:
https://www.westsiderag.com/2025/06/04/following-nasas-removal-from-uws-building-textbooks-and-journals-thrown-in-dumpster
The NASA Langley Library (Hampton VA) has been closed since August, 2025. Two contract librarians were cut earlier in the year & the last two remaining civil service librarians were left with no contact support or budget for subscriptions. Due to the hiring freeze, no replacements. Both CS librarians took the DRP & left.
NASA Langley Library is NASA’s oldest, original collection of aeronautical research. Original historical NACA, NASA materials (documents, books, journals)just sitting there- with no one to manage it & no access for researchers.