Goodnow Library Trustees approve early closing for Oct. 18 gala

SUDBURY -- October 1, 2024, Goodnow Library Trustees flag staffing as the central FY26 budget pitch as head of reference departs. The board voted unanimously Oct. 1 to close the library early on Friday, Oct. 18, for the Goodnow Library Foundation gala, with the second floor closing at 2 p.m. and the first floor at 4 p.m. Foundation Executive Director Jennifer Jones reported $36,000 raised toward a $50,000 Bradshaw family endowment match and $25,000 in business sponsorships, with about 115 gala tickets sold. The library director told trustees that Head of Reference Joanne Lee was leaving for the assistant director job in Wayland, leaving one full-time reference role propped up by three part-time positions that she said had been filled "four times this last year." The library also confirmed roughly $92,000 in state grant funding, written with town sustainability coordinator Danny Marini-King, for a 2025 farmer's market and community-wide read.