Microsoft has begun closing its employee libraries and winding down access to a wide range of digital news and research subscriptions, signalling a change in how the company wants its workforce to learn in an increasingly AI-driven environment.
The decision affects physical library spaces across Microsoft campuses as well as long-standing subscriptions to books, journals and premium publications that employees have relied on for years. In their place, learning and development will be routed through a central internal platform, known as the Skilling Hub, which uses AI to tailor learning recommendations.
According to The Verge, Microsoft has allowed contracts with publishers and research providers to expire, while also shutting down its physical library spaces. Internal communications describe the shift as part of a broader effort to modernise learning and align it more closely with evolving business priorities.
In messages to employees, the company said the Skilling Hub will guide development through personalised skill recommendations, role-specific learning paths and content aligned with future workforce needs. Subscriptions tied to the library model, both physical and digital, are no longer being renewed.
Publishers began receiving automated notices as early as November, informing them that existing agreements would not be extended. The notices did not provide detailed reasoning, beyond confirming that Microsoft would not be continuing the contracts.
One of the affected providers is Strategic News Service (SNS), which has supplied technology and strategy insights to Microsoft employees for over 20 years. In a note shared with staff, SNS said it had been informed that all library-related contracts were being discontinued. Employees have also reported losing access to outlets such as The Information and the ability to borrow business books through internal systems.
While Microsoft regularly reviews its subscriptions, employees familiar with the changes say the scale of the cutbacks is unusual. Many see the move as part of a wider push to reduce reliance on external content while expanding the use of AI-based learning tools.
An internal FAQ confirms the closure of Microsoft’s physical library and acknowledges that it was valued by employees. The document frames the change as a transition toward a more centralised and AI-enabled learning model, rather than a reflection on the relevance of traditional resources.
For some employees, the libraries offered more than access to information. They served as quiet spaces for reflection and independent learning, often built around curated reading lists and expert insights. Their closure points to a broader shift in how learning is being structured inside large technology companies.
Microsoft’s library most recently operated out of Building 92 on its Redmond campus, having previously been located in Building 4. The earlier site is remembered internally for a long-standing anecdote about the sheer weight of books once causing structural strain in the building.
Microsoft has not said what will replace the former library spaces, nor clarified which external news or research sources, if any, will remain available to employees. The company has also not detailed how staff are expected to access independent analysis going forward.
Some publishers have expressed concern about the direction. SNS, in particular, questioned whether AI systems can replicate the depth and judgement of curated analysis, noting that long-term technology trends are shaped by factors that are difficult to model or automate.
As Microsoft continues to expand the use of AI across its products and internal operations, the closure of its libraries highlights a wider debate playing out across the tech sector: how organisations balance speed, scale and personalisation with the depth of learning that comes from slower, more self-directed engagement.