Goodnow trustees endorse FY27 budget with salary study, marketing position

SUDBURY — December 2, 2025 — Goodnow Library Trustees unanimously endorse a FY27 budget seeking a staff salary study and new marketing position. Library Director Amy Steinmetz will present the package to the town manager on Dec. 9, asking for a $5,000 automation increase tied to higher Minuteman Library Network and smart locker service costs, a $15,000 books-and-materials increase driven by e-book pricing, plus two above-level-services items: a townwide salary analysis — the first since 2014 — and a marketing and communications hire. "The staff is the heart of the library," Steinmetz said, citing peer-town data showing the assistant director and department heads paid at the low end of regional scales. Trustees also unanimously approved meeting room policy changes barring for-profit organizations after a law firm distributed promotional materials at a "free" estate-planning event. A Library of Things policy update was postponed to Jan. 6 over hotspot enforcement concerns.