Goddard Engineers, Scientists and Technicians Association
Keith’s note: this is an except from the GESTA IFPTE Local 29 blog Building Closure Updates 27 Dec 2025 – it is important to note that this library also includes the contents of the NASA HQ library which was closed and removed to make a visitor’s center. More below
The information below is based on GESTA’s understanding of recent events as of this date. Since management has put very little information in writing, some of this information also comes directly from employees who have been personally involved in the building closures or who have received verbal information from management.
We acknowledge the disruption or loss of these facilities represent decades of our colleagues’ work and may carry deep personal and institutional impacts. The brevity of these updates is not meant to reflect the depth of the impacts. We are also aware indirectly of impacts to multiple laboratories and buildings not mentioned here.
If you have a (non-controlled) status update or information you would like to provide GESTA regarding the closures or moves of a building or lab for a future bulletin, please feel free to send it to our tipline email or share it via our Survey on this topic.
Building 21 Library – Currently management has stated that all in person library services at GSFC are paused as of December 9th, while library staff complete a 60-day review of the collection. As of December 9th employees are no longer allowed to check out books from the library. Collaborative spaces are listed to remain open but close on January 2nd.
Associate Center Director, Ray Rubilotta stated in a meeting with Code 600 on December 10th that the physical library will be closed, though some version of the library’s Collaboration Center will be moved to Building 28, Ask a Librarian will remain and some digital subscriptions will remain, but those subscriptions will be more limited.
The closure of the GSFC library is in direct violation of a 2012 Negotiated Settlement Agreement between GESTA and NASA Goddard. This agreement is available to read on our website Librarynegosettlementagree04oct2012.pdf. Library staff have reportedly been given permission (after requests by library staff) to go through the collection and save the most rare 10-15%. The other 85-90% is going to be picked up by the General Services Administration.
The former NASA HQ library is also in our stacks since that collection was cataloged and brought to the Greenbelt Goddard library.