ANN ARBOR—The University of Michigan Library is hosting an exhibit celebrating the life and contributions of former U-M football coach and library trustee Bo Schembechler.

Featuring photos, quotes and video clips, this fresh and expansive look at Schembechler’s contributions goes far beyond the football field.

For Paul N. Courant, dean of libraries, the choice to highlight Schembechler is a personal one. “Bo was a student in my introductory public policy class. He and I talked about football, economics and public policy right up until the week he died. He had such enthusiasm for the University. It was amazing to watch him interact with the students. He loved the students and the students loved him.”

Schembechler, who died Nov. 17, 2006, was involved with the library as a trustee of the Library Board. In 1994, he collaborated with the Athletic Department to develop an innovative fund-raising campaign—the sale of recycled stadium turf in the form of U-M coasters and welcome mats—to assist the library in raising matching funds for a major gift for preservation activities.

“It takes more than athletics to make a winner,” Schembechler said. “The University Library helped make the University of Michigan a leader among academic and research institutions.”

The newly renovated space at Hatcher Library allows the showcasing of the library’s treasures and to expand available public space.

The exhibit runs Oct. 19-Dec. 7 in the gallery on the first floor of the Hatcher Graduate Library. The gallery is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and 1-6 p.m. Sunday.

The University of Michigan University Library in Ann Arbor is one of the largest university library systems in the United States. It encompasses 19 separate libraries in 11 buildings, which, taken together, hold more than 8 million volumes and serve more than 3 million patrons on-site per year. The University Library also has been a pioneer in digitization efforts, and its recent partnership with Google to digitize its collection will potentially revolutionize how scholars and students work. The University Library is also an educational organization in its own right, offering a full range of courses, resources, support, and instruction for students, faculty, researchers and the public.

Related Links:

• U-M University Library