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
- 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.