Source: https://libraries.mit.edu
MIT announced the closing of the Barker and Dewey Libraries this Spring. MIT cites a 300-million-dollar shortfall. The Rotch Library is not yet closed, but it is also expected to close.
The change is visible on the Barker website. Their website states, “As
of March 30th, 2026, Barker Library stacks and service desk are
closed.”
The website also states that its numerous study rooms will remain open and that the libraries’ collections will be available by request.
The library collection will become closed stacks, with only its significantly reduced library staff having access.
The Dewey Library will be shut down in June 2026. Due to budget constraints, MIT will also gradually reduce its funding of the Wunsch Conservation Lab. The Wunsch Conservation Lab preserves and archives materials.
The libraries’ closing is consistent with the view that digital materials can and should replace physical copies of works. According to The Tech, MIT believes library staff cuts and library closings are necessary because MIT is a “digital first” university.
Without a doubt, MIT is well known for its digital collection. MIT Libraries have 478 online databases and 55,000 electronic titles. According to MIT Technology Review, the libraries hold 13.1 digital items comprising 9.3 terabytes of memory.
Elizabeth Cavicci, researcher and alumna, strongly denounced the decision to close three of the university’s libraries. In MIT’s faculty newsletter, she writes that the closing “demonstrates a significant retreat from…commitment to truth and knowledge.”
Though she and many others are opposed to the plan, their objections were not heard.
MIT is one of the U.S.’s premier research institutions. Undoubtedly,
other institutions will follow suit.
