Library Director Steps Down

Ann Thomas

Photo: courtesy Friend Memorial Library

Ann Thomas, the library director who steered Goodall Library through stressful times during the past eight months, stepped down this Wednesday. She said she plans to move back to the Blue Hill area to be with her family “who I love dearly.”

She praised the Board of Directors as “great” and staff and patrons as “wonderful” members.

Thomas began work on February 20 while the library was occupying temporary space at Center for Shopping due to a major expansion of the main library on Main Street. Within weeks, she was dealing with a roof leak that damaged many shelves of books. Then, the delay in receipt of a $3 million federal grant to fund the expansion forced the library to dip into its endowment income. When those funds were exhausted by early April, construction was halted. Maine’s Congressional delegation got involved and funds were finally released in late August. Construction cost escalation and unexpected expenses due to the unexpectedly long relocation have driven up the overall cost of the expansion from $3.9 million to $4.5 million. The library hopes to reopen its Main Street building in June. “I’m excited to see the new library in June 2025,” she texted.