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Category: Feature Friday

Feature Friday: From Graduate Assistants to Digital Scholarship Leaders

Posted April 3, 2026

For former JMU Libraries graduate assistants Mariam Ismail and Iliana Cosme-Brooks, their time in the Libraries was more than a job—it was a turning point.  Today, Mariam and Iliana are building careers in digital scholarship and academic publishing, carrying forward the skills and perspectives they […]

photo of Mariam and Iliana at JMU graduation

Feature Friday: Advancing Archaeology Through Collaboration 

Posted March 27, 2026

When Dr. Dennis Blanton reflects on his career at JMU, one theme stands out: collaboration.   As a professor of anthropology preparing for retirement this spring, Blanton has spent decades uncovering the stories of the past—most recently through research on early […]

Photo of Dr. Dennis Blanton and Jared Wark with artifacts and a 3D scanner in The Makery.

Building Scientists from the Ground Up: 50 Years of Chemistry Research

Posted March 13, 2026

This spring, JMU’s Chemistry & Biochemistry department will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its Spring Symposium, marking five decades of formally recognizing undergraduate research. While research has long been part of the department’s culture, the symposium created a lasting tradition of […]

photo of students conducting chemistry experiments

Students Helping Students with Business Research 

Posted March 10, 2026

Peer Research Advisers (PRAs) are student employees in JMU Libraries trained to help their peers in the College of Business with the in-depth research required to create a business plan for COB 300. The PRA program has been assisting their […]

From Classroom to Camera: Madison’s Story

Posted March 10, 2026

Every year, students nearing the end of JMU’s Physician Assistant (PA) program are required to complete a Capstone Project. As part of the Capstone Project, students are given the opportunity to play the part of a PA in a mock […]

Connecting the Past and the Future of Carrier Library with 3D Technology

Posted March 10, 2026

The Makery in Rose Library is connecting the past and the future of Carrier Library using the power of 3D scanning and printing technology. While preparing for the renovation of Carrier Library, the construction team uncovered a set of exquisite 1930s-era […]

From the Stacks to “I Do” — A JMU Love Story

Posted March 6, 2026

Some love stories start with a chance meeting in class or a swipe on an app — but for Jess Hoare and Cameron Kelahan, their journey began on the Club Quidditch Team in 2016.  Though they didn’t meet through the Libraries, the […]

Jess and Cameron in graduation gowns hugging in front of Carrier Library

5 Former Libraries Student Employees and What They’re Doing Now

Posted March 6, 2026

Each year, JMU Libraries provides on-campus jobs to almost 100 hardworking student employees who develop professional skills and make lasting memories while serving the campus community. But the story doesn’t end when they graduate. The lessons learned behind the desk, […]

Beyond the Textbook – Students Preserving Local Black History at Simms

Posted January 30, 2026

Next time you’re in the Northeast neighborhood of Harrisonburg, look for the Lucy F. Simms Center—a large brick building next to Ralph Sampson Park. If you think it looks like a public school, you are correct. This community center was once the Lucy F. Simms School, a cornerstone of the Black community in Harrisonburg, VA, until it was closed in 1965 as part […]

Mary Awkard Fairfax and students standing in front of Lucy F. Simms School

More Dynamic Leadership Library Makes Its Debut

Posted January 28, 2025

The School of Strategic Leadership Studies (SSLS) has partnered with JMU Libraries to transform their Leadership Instruments Library (LIL) into a more accessible, user-friendly, and evolving resource for leadership scholars and researchers. Originally a collection of static PDFs, the LIL […]