Letter: Pick Schlegel For Goodnow Library Board

Sudbury MA

26 March, 2021

10:10 AM

Description

The following is a letter to the editor and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Sudbury Patch. New faces and fresh thinking are the lifeblood of any organization that wants to remain relevantand serve its community. This is especially true for municipal boards and committees, and theGoodnow Library Board of Trustees is no exception. Natalie Schlegel is that new face and fresh thinking. An accomplished leader and team builderwhere she works at Bentley University, Natalie has kept her focus on the long-range goal ofmaintaining international student study abroad in the midst of the most serious healthchallenge in a century, Covid-19. For over 30 years the Friends has raised funds and supported programs of value to the libraryand the community; museum passes, drive-by book drop, the annual book sale, and notably,programs in the Children's room. The friends sole, dedicated purpose was to support theLibrary. In a hasty decision earlier this year the Friends were vaporized in an instant when theGoodnow Library board of Trustees voted to sever ties with the Friends of the GoodnowLibrary. The most harmful, and hurtful, aspect of the Trustee's decision was to cause a loss of goodwilland a sense of belonging to a beloved institution among the many residents who feltthemselves to be a part of the Goodnow Library. As a good friend said to me, "We are all the Library". Something went terribly wrong among the Trustees that resulted in their decision to cut tieswith the Friends. Whatever it was, it was most regrettable. New faces with fresh ideas are the first step toward rebuilding trust and restoring confidence.Natalie Schlegel is seeking a seat on the Library Board of Trustees to do just that, restore aviable working relationship between the Trustees and the Friends. We have had enough divisiveness and harsh words. Civility and finding a way to 'yes' are thepath we should be seeking. Natalie Schlegel can set us along that path. Please join me in voting for Natalie for Library Board of Trustees on March 29. —Len Simon, Sudbury