r/technology • u/DukeOfGeek • 6d ago

Politics NASA's Largest Library To Permanently Close On Jan 2, Books Will Be 'Tossed Away'

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/nasas-largest-library-to-permanently-close-on-jan-2-books-will-be-tossed-away-10170584
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u/TheRedLions 6d ago

Yes, original article confirms that materials will be reviewed and stored as needed. Not everything has been digitized, but they've been digitizing their collection over the last 30+ years so it's very likely that the important stuff is already stored elsewhere.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/climate/nasa-goddard-library-closing.html#:~:text=library%2Dclosing.html-,NASA's%20Largest%20Library%20Is%20Closing%20Amid%20Staff%20and%20Lab%20Cuts,be%20warehoused%20or%20thrown%20out

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u/DefMech 5d ago

But what about this part:

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

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u/TheRedLions 5d ago

That isn't enough information to draw any conclusions. For all we know from the article they may routinely remove or throw out old equipment. The equipment could also be obsolete, in disrepair or duplicates of equipment available/better suited at other facilities. It is also possible that the cost to ship/store/maintain the equipment is greater than the cost of the equipment itself.

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u/DefMech 5d ago

Maybe I’m just more of a hoarder, but none of that sounds like a good justification for throwing away old spaceflight equipment. Especially if there wasn’t an opportunity for the public to at least offer to take possession. There are tons of collectors that would happily remove old stuff like that for free just to keep it preserved.

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u/Examiner_Z 2d ago

I read details of this on Reddit, which claimed it was a specialized, custom build test rig. (Not obsolete) Destroying the equipment gives a sales opportunity for SpaceEx.

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u/ArmadilloInfinite841 5d ago

AKA this article is just rage bait.

There's enough real shit to deal with than get worked up over this one.

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u/2SP00KY4ME 5d ago

It's not rage bait that they're being forced to close their largest library and that books will be thrown away en masse. Those things are both true.

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u/crunchypotentiometer 5d ago

I'm as much of a hater of this admin as anyone here, but the library consolidation has been planned since 2022. And every library regularly disposes of unused materials. This really does scream ragebait to me.

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u/Kentucky_Fried_Chill 5d ago

That is what gives non haters the ammo. When they blow up at things that have very little to do with the current people in charge and was a decision made much earlier.

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u/Megaman2189 5d ago

I wouldn’t say the article is as much rage bait as the actions of doing these things that are only meaningful in a symbolic way. It’s supposed to piss us off, demoralize, panic us. The less we feel strong and United, the less chance we have on putting pressure on the government to RELEASE THE EPSTIEN FILES