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November 28, 2007

Extended Library Hours, December 11-16

Need a place to study for exams? Want a computer lab for your class projects? Come to the Thompson Library and stay late! From Tuesday, December 11 through Sunday, December 16, the Thompson Library will have extended hours:

Tuesday, December 119 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Wednesday, December 129 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Thursday, December 139 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Friday, December 149 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Saturday, December 1511 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday, December 161 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Posted by pgstreby at 11:17 AM | Comments (0)

November 15, 2007

In Memoriam - Jack Thompson

Dr. Jack Thompson, who died recently in Naples, Florida, was one of the great benefactors of the Frances Willson Thompson Library, which was named in honor of his mother. He was born in Flint in 1918, and was a prominent and civic-minded member of the community.

We are ever grateful for the role he played in making the Thompson Library what it is today, and we will miss Dr. Thompson's visits here when he was in town.

The Flint Journal ran a nice article about Dr. Thompson on September 20:


The generosity of Dr. Jack W. Thompson and his family through the decades has been so profound and pervasive that their names are an integral part of the Flint landscape.
When it came to giving, Thompson, who died Sept. 9, and his late wife, Virginia, concentrated their resources in some of the very best Flint has to offer. The long list notably includes the University of Michigan-Flint, the Flint Institute of Arts and the Flint Institute of Music, all of which have helped to sustain Flint as a quality city during its most difficult years.

It seemed whatever the couple took personal delight in, they wanted to share with others, and did so by reaching out with their financial resources. Thus as they became avid and accomplished pottery artists under the tutelage of the FIA, so they returned the favor in the form of sizable donations through the years, even after they moved away in retirement..

As learning, culture and writing were among the driving forces in their lives, so the family supported UM-Flint in a multi-generational pattern. UM-Flint's Frances Willson Thompson Library is named in honor of Dr. Thompson's late mother, as is the university's Critical Issues Forum, which brings celebrity intellectuals to Flint yearly.

When Dr. Thompson retired from medical practice in the specialty of obstetrics, the couple relocated to Florida, free to indulge in their love of birding and nature. Typically, they extended their support to relevant organizations.

Even though many institutions bear the Thompson name, those who knew him well remember him as much more than a benefactor willing to share some of his wealth. He is equally remembered for his civility and kindness, which is the great part of his immense legacy, without which his financial generosity would not have been possible.

R.I.P.

Posted by pgstreby at 10:30 AM | Comments (0)

November 01, 2007

Remote Access Downtime (10-15 Minutes) Late Thursday or Early Friday

The Thompson Library's EZProxy system, which gives you access to journals and databases from off campus, will be upgraded some time between 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 1 and 6:00 a.m. on Friday, November 2, 2007. There will be brief downtime for licensed databases, but this should be 10-15 minutes.

The upgrade is expected to fix many of the problems you may have noticed in accessing databases and journals from off campus. Once the new version of EZProxy is installed, remote access should be easier.

Please contact me if you have any remote access problems after 6:00 a.m. on Friday.


    Paul Streby
    Collection Development Librarian & Webmaster
    pgstreby@umflint.edu

Posted by pgstreby at 09:11 AM | Comments (0)