Photo credit: hechingerreport.org
The U.S. Department of Education confirmed on Monday its decision to maintain the functionality of its online library, ERIC, despite a lapse in operations that affected its funding last week. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had proposed significant budget reductions for the repository, which serves approximately 14 million users annually, allowing its funding to expire on April 23. This cut-off restricted the Education Department’s ability to update the library with new research studies and documents, critical resources for educators, policymakers, and researchers.
Matthew Soldner, the acting director of the Institute of Education Sciences, emphasized the commitment to improving educational outcomes, stating, “We are dedicated to sharing knowledge about the condition of education and ‘what works’ to improve student achievement.” A reduced contract was secured on April 24, as reported by the Federal Procurement Data System.
Soldner reassured users that “no content has been removed or deleted from ERIC,” reaffirming the preservation policy: articles will only be withdrawn if officially retracted by their publishers.
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Erin Pollard Young, who played a pivotal role in bringing attention to the library’s situation—following a feature in The Hechinger Report on April 21—expressed her relief: “I’m so happy!” Pollard Young previously managed ERIC as the only Education Department staff member dedicated to its operation until her position was eliminated in March.
The majority of ERIC’s operations are handled by the outside contractor, AEM Corp. However, the library’s budget has been slashed by 50% to $5.5 million annually. This budget cut is expected to limit the addition of new publications and also discontinue the helpdesk services previously offered to the public.
Related: A treasure trove of education reports and studies is under threat
This information about the future of ERIC was reported by The Hechinger Report, a non-profit organization dedicated to covering issues of inequality and innovation in education.
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hechingerreport.org