Special Collections Mission Statement

The Mission of Special Collections is fourfold:

  • To document the Central Shenandoah Valley [the city of Harrisonburg, as well as Rockingham, Shenandoah, Page and Augusta Counties]
  • To document the history of James Madison University
  • To serve as JMU Libraries’ repository for rare, irreplaceable, unique, or otherwise valuable materials which warrant special handling to assure their long-term availability
  • To support the use of primary source materials housed in Special Collections within the JMU curriculum and the wider community of scholars

Therefore, the objectives of Special Collections are: to gather rare books, manuscripts and other special materials that support the mission of Special Collections, JMU Libraries, and the University; to process and house these materials in ways that make them accessible to the public while enhancing their preservation; to provide service in their use, to communicate to the University and the wider community the purpose and content of Special Collections; and to encourage potential donors of desirable materials.

See the Special Collections Collection Development Policy for additional information about the selection, acquisition, and maintenance of the Libraries’ unique collections.