JMU Libraries provides expertise in educational technologies, research, instructional design, digital projects, information literacy, scholarly communications, classroom technology, and so much more. We also manage physical and online collections to support your research and teaching. If you’re not a faculty member or instructor, switch to our resources for students, staff, graduate students, or visitors.
We’re here to help you:
Use technologies in your teaching
Consultations with instructional designers and technologists
We can help you meaningfully integrate appropriate technologies into the academic experience. We can also consult with you on instructional design for courses, curricula, and learning initiatives. Request a consultation or learn more on our Instructional Design and Educational Technology Services for Faculty page.
Workshops and training
Take a faculty workshop to support your teaching in traditional, online, and blended environments.
Use Canvas effectively
Find advice on effective uses of Canvas for all types of teaching, including in-person, online, and hybrid courses. We also provide tech support for Canvas and Canvas Studio.
Online and hybrid teaching
Find advice for online or hybrid teaching, including how to teach with Zoom at JMU. Or request a consultation with an instructional designer to explore technologies and pedagogical approaches for success.
Media production services, software, equipment, and facilities
You can request custom media design and production to support your teaching. Visit Media Production and The Makery to learn about our media production services, professional studio and other facilities, and equipment such as laptops and cameras to check out. Our Music Library also offers music equipment.
Classroom technologies
Contact Library Tech Support for help with projectors, microphones, and other classroom technologies.
3D Printing classroom and EPIC
Our 3SPACE classroom is the first general-education college 3D printing classroom in the country. We also support EPIC (Enhancing Pedagogy through Innovative Classrooms), which features some of JMU’s newest, most innovative classrooms.
Create dynamic learning experiences
Professional development and learning
Apply by May 1, 2023 to join our new fellowship on universal design for learning! Or try one of our self-paced learning opportunities designed for busy faculty members.
Digital class projects
Digital assignments like websites, podcasts, oral histories, timelines, maps, and data visualizations can promote engaged learning and a sense of belonging. Request a consultation and select “Digital Projects” to connect with our digital projects and instructional design teams, who can help you leverage open and critical digital pedagogy and inclusion-oriented strategies as you design your digital assignment or project. View examples of past digital assignments and projects supported by the Libraries.
Instructional design support
Request a consultation with an instructional designer to design and develop inclusive and engaging assignments, courses, program orientations, learner-oriented resources, and curricula. Our instructional design services center equity, accessibility, and inclusion, while enhancing and sustaining learner success.
Special Collections
Special Collections is our repository for rare and unique materials, with a focus on the history of JMU and the Shenandoah Valley. To learn about incorporating Special Collections materials in your course, contact library-special@jmu.edu.
Makerspace
The Makery encourages creativity, brainstorming, exploring, rethinking, problem-solving and curiosity through an array of technologies, software, equipment, and workshops.
Multimedia equipment
We offer an array of digital media tools and facilities, including a narration room, a video production studio for faculty/staff, and creative media software. You and your students can also borrow equipment such as cameras, microphones, and camcorders. Our Music Library also offers equipment to check out.
Libraries workshops for your courses
Invite us into your in-person or online classroom to help your students build skills in research, evaluating sources, podcasting, data management, information literacy, technology, and more.
Online learning
Request a consultation on the technologies and pedagogical approaches for creating effective online, hybrid, or distance learning experiences. Or find our expert advice on online or hybrid teaching.
Streaming video for courses
Learn how to use Canvas Studio or find streaming video for your courses.
Read about best practices in teaching and learning
Our Readings about Teaching site makes it easy for you to find the best books on inclusive teaching practices, the science of learning, and more. This site was a collaborative effort by JMU Libraries and the Center for Faculty Innovation (CFI).
Get tech support
Tech support for educational technologies
We provide tech support for Canvas, Canvas Studio, Respondus, TurnItIn, illumira, Canvas Studio, CampusPress, clickers, course evaluations, projectors, microphones, and other classroom technologies. The JMU IT Help Desk provides tech support for Zoom.
Connect from off campus
Get instructions for connecting from off-campus to use the Libraries’ online resources.
Printing, scanning, and software in the libraries
Learn about the Libraries’ printers, scanners, and software.
Course evaluations
We administer and configure Blue, JMU’s course evaluation tool, which is integrated into Canvas and MyMadison as “Course Evaluation Task” for students, faculty and staff. Learn more about how we can help you customize your course evaluations, refer to the Instructor Guide, or review the current course evaluation schedule.
Access library collections
Search our collections
Use Library Search to find books, e-books, articles, videos, music, and more. Learn what is included in Library Search results. Visit our online resources page for details on accessing journals, databases, e-books, streaming video, and more. If you can’t find what you need, contact your liaison librarian.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
When you need a resource that’s not in JMU’s collections, submit an Interlibrary Loan request. We do our best to use the global network of libraries to get it to you, quickly and free of charge.
Delivery services
Have library books or materials delivered to your departmental mailbox. We can also send scanned book chapters and articles to your email address. Learn about our other delivery services.
Course reserves
Use course reserves to place high-use course materials on reserve for your students.
Online resources
Learn about using e-books, streaming video, databases, journals, and more on our online resources page.
Special Collections
Special Collections is our repository for rare and unique materials, with a focus on the history of JMU and the Shenandoah Valley. Anyone is welcome to make an appointment to engage with our materials. Find examples of our fascinating and gorgeous materials on the Special Collections Instagram or Twitter.
Open educational resources
Open textbooks and other open educational resources (OER) make course materials more affordable for students and more customizable for instructors.
Newspaper subscriptions
Access the New York Times and Wall Street Journal through our subscriptions. Looking for other news sources? View our full list of news-related databases.
Advance your research
Liaison librarians
When you have in-depth research questions, contact your department’s liaison librarian, a subject expert who can help you and your students with discipline-specific research.
Research guides
Research guides, created by JMU librarians, point you to our best resources in a variety of disciplines. Your liaison librarian may also be able to create research guides for your courses.
Video, illustration, photography, and graphic design services
Get expert assistance with media production — including creating images, graphs, and other visual representations of data — for your scholarly publications.
Scholarly communications, copyright, and publishing
We provide holistic support for scholarly communications across JMU, offering consultations in copyright, author rights, open publishing, choosing a journal in which to publish, and more.
Data management
We offer consultations on data management, including creating a data management plan.
JMU Scholarly Commons
The JMU Scholarly Commons is an open-access institutional repository for sharing your scholarship worldwide, increasing its visibility and reach.
Explore library spaces
Library locations
Visit our Library Spaces page or watch this short video about our library spaces.
Fun Things to Do in JMU Libraries
Learn about our Community Seed Library, book displays, and more in Fun Things to Do in JMU Libraries.
We’re here to help! Ask the Library.
Visit a service desk, use the Ask the Library page, or schedule a consultation with one of our subject experts. We look forward to working with you!