Goodnow Library
🏢 Minuteman Library Network · Sudbury, Massachusetts
Goodnow Library
Built on land and money left by Sudbury native John Goodnow in 1851, the Goodnow Library still centers on its original 1863 octagon-shaped reading room — now wrapped by a 1990s expansion — and pairs that National Register landmark with the free Sara Sherman NOW Lab makerspace at 21 Concord Road in South Sudbury.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–9pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–9pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–9pm |
| Thursday | 9am–9pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–5pm |
| Sunday | 1pm–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 21 Concord Road, Sudbury, MA 01776
Phone: (978) 443-1035
Website: goodnowlibrary.org
Plus Code: 87JC9H7M+86 (Sudbury, MA)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Goodnow Library
The Goodnow Library is the public library of Sudbury, Massachusetts, a historic MetroWest town in Middlesex County. It owes its existence to John Goodnow II, a Sudbury native who died in 1851 and bequeathed a three-acre site, $2,500 to build a library, and $20,000 to buy books and maintain it. Construction of the distinctive two-story, octagon-shaped building — designed by Joseph R. Richards in a Romanesque style — began in 1862 and was completed in 1863; that original octagon survives today as a reading room after the library was expanded to its present size in the 1990s. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 22, 2002. Today the Goodnow Library is a member of the 41-library Minuteman Library Network, so a Sudbury card borrows across hundreds of thousands of items throughout MetroWest, and it is home to the free Sara Sherman NOW Lab makerspace, a Library of Things, and the Sudbury Archives Project documenting town records back to 1639.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Original 1863 octagon-shaped building — funded by John Goodnow's 1851 bequest, designed by architect Joseph R. Richards, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places (2002) — still in use as a reading room at the heart of the library
- Sara Sherman NOW Lab: a free makerspace with 3D printing, laser and vinyl cutting, arts & crafts, and robotics, plus open lab hours and hands-on workshops
- Library of Things: borrow non-traditional items such as a metal detector, a pressure washer, and a bocce set — things most households would rather borrow than buy
- Sudbury Archives Project (started 1991): a searchable index of pre-1850 town documents, including Town Clerk records dating back to 1639, drawn from the library, the Wayside Inn, and local historical societies
- Full Minuteman Library Network membership — one Sudbury card borrows from 41 libraries across MetroWest, plus OverDrive/Libby, hoopla, and statewide eBook access
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Sudbury cardholders can borrow, stream, and research free through the Minuteman Network and Massachusetts's statewide collections:
📚 Services
- Borrowing from all 41 Minuteman Library Network member libraries with one Sudbury card
- Interlibrary Loan (ILL) for items not held in the MLN network
- Sara Sherman NOW Lab makerspace: 3D printing, laser & vinyl cutting, robotics, and arts & crafts
- Library of Things: borrowable tools and recreation items (metal detector, pressure washer, bocce set and more)
- Museum passes for free or reduced admission to area cultural institutions
- Meeting rooms and study space bookable by community members and organizations
- Public computers, printing, and free Wi-Fi throughout the building
- Sudbury Archives Project — searchable index of pre-1850 town records
🎸 Programs
- Tales for Tots — story time for young children
- Wee Reads — early literacy story time for babies and toddlers
- Teen book clubs and craft workshops
- NOW Lab workshops (for example beaded fresh-flower earrings and 'You Choose, You Learn' sessions)
- Adult yoga sessions
- First Year of Life support group for new parents
- Friends of the Goodnow Library book sales and programs
📍 Nearby Libraries in Middlesex County
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Sudbury · Browse all Massachusetts libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is the original octagon building still part of the Goodnow Library?
Yes. The two-story, octagon-shaped building that opened in 1863 — built with the bequest of Sudbury native John Goodnow II and designed by architect Joseph R. Richards — is still standing and now serves as a reading room. When the library was expanded to its present size in the 1990s, the historic octagon was deliberately preserved at the center of the building, and the structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
What can I do in the Sara Sherman NOW Lab?
The NOW Lab is the library's free makerspace. It offers 3D printing, laser and vinyl cutting, robotics, and arts and crafts, with open lab hours for your own projects and staff-led workshops throughout the year. It's a free way for Sudbury residents to prototype, fabricate, and learn new creative skills.
Do the Goodnow Library's hours change over the summer?
Yes. During the school year (roughly September through mid-June) the library is open Monday–Thursday 9 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m.–5 p.m. In summer (roughly mid-June through early September) the weekend schedule is shorter — Saturday closes earlier and Sunday is closed. Call (978) 443-1035 or check goodnowlibrary.org before a weekend visit to confirm the current hours.
Can I borrow from other libraries with my Sudbury card?
Yes. The Goodnow Library belongs to the Minuteman Library Network, so a single Sudbury card gives you borrowing privileges at all 41 member libraries across MetroWest Massachusetts. Request items through the Minuteman catalog at catalog.minlib.net for pickup at the Goodnow Library, and return borrowed items at any Minuteman member library.
🎨 This library lends museum passes. See how library museum passes work and find other libraries that lend passes museum passes by state.
🧰 This library lends a “Library of Things.” See what you can borrow besides books and find other libraries with a Library of Things Library of Things by state.
🔨 This library has a makerspace / 3D printing. See how library makerspaces and 3D printing work and find other libraries with a makerspace makerspaces by state.
✎ Notice something out of date? Suggest a correction and we’ll verify and update it.