Goodnow Library May Begin Lending Again In Mid-June

SUDBURY, MA — After a more than two-month coronavirus closure, the Goodnow Library in Sudbury is working on a plan to begin lending again by the middle of June.

Director Esmé Green said Saturday in a letter to library patrons that staff will begin returning to the library on June 1 to work through the backlog of returned items, holds, and more. That work could take up to a month to get through, Green said, due to lower staff levels to maintain social distance.

If Gov. Charlie Baker's phased reopening plan proceeds as normal, the contact-free pickup service would go into effect the week of June 15. Other local towns, including Wayland and Natick, are working on similar contactless pickup plans.

"Our ability to do this depends upon some software upgrades that we are expecting, so June 15 may not be the exact date," Green said in the update. "More information about this service will follow soon."

Either way, Goodnow patrons won't have to return materials until June 30. The library's book drops are open now, however.

The Goodnow Library closed on March 13 due to coronavirus. The closure was only supposed to last two weeks. The library has been offering services online-only since.