UM-Flint's Thompson Library celebrates 30 years

The Frances Willson Thompson Library at the University of Michigan-Flint has been a campus mainstay since its grand opening in 1994. For three decades, students have prepared for finals, written papers, conducted research, found support services and made lifelong connections within its friendly confines.

To celebrate those occasions - and many more - the Thompson Library invites campus and community members to celebrate 30 years of operation, 3-5 p.m., Nov. 18, with a reception. RSVPs are requested.

"There was a time when this campus didn't have its own library," said Jennifer Dean, Thompson Library director. "We had a shared space with Mott Community College, and eventually, there was an outpouring of support for us to have our own library resources. People-campus and community members alike-rallied together to make this library a reality. If you walk around our space today, you'll see acknowledgments of those people who were instrumental in that endeavor, people like Marian E. Wright, Susie Thompson and more. Businesses donated too, some of which may not exist any longer, but the plaques are still here and spaces that are named for donors."

The library may have moved from the CROB to a dedicated building, but it has always been a go-to study destination.

And while the Thompson Library has played a pivotal role in the history of the city and campus since opening its doors in the 1990s, there is also a storied past of library operations and services prior to that time. From the era of shared services with what was then called Flint Junior College (now Mott CC), to a dedicated library opening in the former Classroom and Office Building, to the Genesee Historical Collections Center opening in the 1980s, the history of the library at UM-Flint has been one filled with growth, change and evolution. With the launch of the university's Look to Michigan fundraising campaign, the Thompson Library looks to continue that track record of evolution by expanding its services and creating specialized study spaces via donor support.

This timeline, complete with photographs courtesy of the Genesee Historical Collections Center, offers a deeper dive into library history.

1956

The Flint College of the University of Michigan (what would become UM-Flint) library shares space and interfile collection with Flint Junior College. This would continue for 16 years.

1973

Flint Junior College and Flint College of the University of Michigan split their book collections.

1974

David Palmer was hired as director of UM-Flint Library.

Palmer

1977

The UM-Flint Library opens in the Classroom and Office Building, aka the CROB.

1978

A story about the weight of books being too much for the CROB is featured in The Flint Journal. There were many stories from the student paper during the late '70s and '80s about the lack of library facilities.

1982

An anonymous $2 million donation was made to the library, half of which is earmarked for a new building.

1983

The Flint Public Library's downtown branch closes and UM-Flint books and archives move into "Library Annex" under the Harrison St Ramp and to a storage facility on Lapeer St.

1984

The Genesee Historical Collections Center opens in the Library Annex on May 6. The Henry H. Crapo room is dedicated on Dec. 13 in the CROB library space.

The Crapo Room is full of artifacts from notable historical Flint figure Henry H. Crapo and his descendants, including his great-granddaughter Frances Willson Thompson. Pictured here is the current Crapo Room.

1985

The Gunnar Bickerts and Associates architectural firm is awarded the contract to design the new library building.

1989

Fundraising for the new library building is officially started by Sen. Don Riegle. The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation grants $2.4 million for library construction. The funds for the library are entirely from private donations; no state or public money went into the construction of the building.

1989

The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation grants $2.4 million for library construction.

1991

Robert Houbeck named library director. The planned library site is moved from next to Willson Park to its current location with the acquisition of the former Water Street Pavilion complex.

Sept. 19, 1994

Second and third floors of the Thompson Library open.

Oct. 17, 1994

Thompson Library dedication ceremony is held in the library's atrium.

March 1995

Ground-floor entrance of the Thompson Library opens, marking the building as complete.

Of course, plenty of library history has taken place after the physical building was finished. A major development came in the early 2000s, when Information and Technology Services added computers to the library-resources that are hard to conceive studying without in today's world. The Piper Curriculum Lab also moved into the library in the 2000s before relocating in 2014-the Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching is now in that space. In 2012, the ThinkLab, a multimedia study space equipped with a whiteboard, computer and 65-inch monitor, opened. After that, the Quiet Room was introduced in 2016 to provide a silent study area for students. And in 2022, Jennifer Dean was hired as the Thompson Library's third director.

Learn more about resources and services available from the Thompson Library on the library's webpage.

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