Category: Feature Friday
Managing Miles of Books (and So Much More!): Meet Our Director of Collections
Posted April 21, 2026
Ever wondered what it takes to manage a university library’s collections? At JMU Libraries, a hard-working team of professionals and student staff selects, organizes, and maintains accurate metadata for over 1.8 million ebooks and half a million books and other […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
