Goodnow trustees postpone photography policy, set FY25 budget priorities

SUDBURY -- October 3, 2023, Goodnow Library trustees set FY25 advocacy around a bookmobile, EV chargers, staffing and salaries. The Oct. 3 board, meeting with five of six members present, approved closing the library Friday, Oct. 27 for staff development and deferred a draft photography policy to November after town counsel flagged First Amendment complications; attorney Michael Dortenzio and Sudbury Town Counsel Lee Smith will brief the board. Library Director Esme reported that the Boston Public Library and Internet Archive will digitize the library's print yearbooks at no cost, saving roughly $12,000. Trustee Ingrid J. Mayyasi said the GoodNow trust draw will drop to $25,000 from $35,000 and noted the library is 1.6 percent of the town budget. On staffing, Esme said part-time MLS-holders work "10 hours a week" without benefits; on programming, "there's this huge iceberg underneath that supports all of it running well." A bookmobile would run $225,000 to $375,000, with an electric drivetrain adding $75,000.