Ambler Campus, Temple University

Libraries are not simply the reference materials they hold and the four walls that surround them. The reach of the campus library today goes far beyond the boundaries of the campus itself.

It’s the message that Sandi Thompson wants to share with students “who, more and more, think that libraries are extinct.”

“They’re not. It’s more than the materials that might be useful to a student, it's also the people inside the library who can help them cut through the extraordinary amount
of information that is currently available to them,” she said. “That’s what I teach to the classes — seeking out the appropriate information efficiently and effectively.”

Thompson is in the perfect position to ensure the relevancy of the Ambler Campus Library today and in the years to come, having been appointed Head of Suburban Campus Libraries by Larry P. Alford, Dean of University Libraries.

“The appointment of Sandi Thompson to head Temple’s Suburban Campus Libraries is extraordinarily good news for Temple Ambler, for the campus and the college. Sandi brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the position,” said Temple University Ambler Acting Dean James W. Hilty. “But, more than that, she brings a deep, abiding passion and demonstrated loyalty for the Ambler Campus, for its history and traditions, and for the welfare of its students, faculty, and staff.

Thompson began working in the Temple University Libraries in 1969 as a Bibliographic Assistant, first in the Acquisitions Department followed by service in the Business Library, Government Documents, and finally in the Mathematical Sciences Library.

In 1985, after earning her M.S.L.S. at Drexel University, she was named the Bibliographic Services Librarian at the Ambler Campus Library. In that role, she has been deeply involved in the Ambler Campus and its library as well as in many services and activities on the Main Campus.

Thompson has served as the Interim Head of Suburban Campus Libraries since September 2006.

“In that capacity she has done a wonderful job of leading the Ambler and Tyler campus libraries,” Alford said. “I would like to personally thank Sandi for serving as the Interim during this period as well as for her many years of contributions to the Temple University Libraries in a variety of roles.”

The Library today “goes well beyond its walls,” Thompson said.

“Being part of the University system, there are so many major initiatives going on in the digital world and the media world. We have large databases in media and sound, which I think many students aren’t aware of — it’s not just books and printed material,” she said. “The Library purchased major new databases and applications to find and present information. TUlink, for example, interlinks all of the University databases; a student can find a citation in one database and read its entire text in a different database with just a few simple clicks of the mouse. We have also purchased RefWorks, a bibliographic manager that greatly streamlines the citation process for students.”

For more than two decades “Sandi has tirelessly served Ambler, providing exceptional, caring service to students and faculty, aiding them on research projects, reaching out to individual students and whole classes assisting them with the latest technology, finding aids, and bibliographic resources,” said Dr. Hilty.

“Close to my heart, Sandi over the years has voluntarily assumed the responsibilities of building an historical archive of the Ambler Campus, preserving key documents, photographs, and memories of the campus and the former Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women, which preceded Temple Ambler,” he said.

Thompson said her interest in Ambler’s history dates back to the heyday of the Temple Musical Festival and Institute, which was located at the Ambler campus and served as a school for young professional musicians in addition to offering a 3,000-seat concert venue for the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, and a young Bill Cosby.

“I worked at the Main Campus when the Music Festival was here and it was my first introduction to Ambler. When I was hired here, that initial interest blossomed from there — the campus has such a rich history that you can’t help but get immersed in it,” she said. “We now have a part-time librarian who has a background in archiving and, hopefully, will be able to help us continue the historical archiving project.”

Thompson was an integral part in the research and development of historical content for the 2001 celebration of the 90th anniversary of the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women and the 40th anniversary of Ambler being a campus of Temple — she was instrumental in the creation of the historical collages that adorn the walls of Bright Hall Lounge. In 2005, she was also deeply involved in researching the history of the campus for Ambler’s Best of Show-winning Philadelphia Flower Show Exhibit, “Progressive Women in Horticulture: A Driving Force in Philadelphia — 1904 to 1924.” Visit here for more information on campus history.

“These were joint ventures between the campus and the Library and that’s what I like to promote. That’s the kind of involvement that made me want to be Head of Suburban Libraries,” Thompson said. “The campus community makes you want to do what you do and spend the time that you spend. We work together, regardless of our titles or who we are, and we work for the benefit of the campus and the students.”

While celebrating the past, the campus Library has the right person at the helm to steer it toward the future, said Dr. Hilty.

“Sandi has guided students and faculty in the right direction for many years,” he said. “Now she has the larger responsibility, among others, for guiding the Ambler Library. Its future could not be in better hands.”