Caitlin Birch

About me

I provide collaborative leadership and strategic direction for the faculty and staff of JMU Libraries’ Digital Scholarship & Distinctive Collections department (DSDC). In addition to supporting the extensive expertise and creativity that DSDC members bring to their work and teaching, I focus on building fruitful partnerships between DSDC and centers and departments across campus; the faculty, staff, and students whose research and teaching sustain them; and the communities surrounding JMU.

Education

• MSLIS (Archives Management), Simmons College
• MA (History), Simmons College
• BA (English with a concentration in Journalism and minors in History and Irish Studies), University of Delaware

About Academic Engagement Unit

We welcome people to the Libraries and help facilitate their experience by staffing the Libraries’ buildings and supporting people on their journey of inquiry. We answer and refer questions via Ask the Library, provide instruction sessions and consultations, and leverage our expertise to develop and provide access to scholarly collections, including special collections. Departments include Access & User Services, Digital Scholarship & Distinctive Collections, and Research & Education Services.

About AE Leadership

We are the leadership team for Academic Engagement (AE).

About Digital Scholarship & Distinctive Collections Department

We encourage exploration of history and cultural heritage through unique resources and innovative research methods. We collect, preserve, and share rare books, manuscripts, and archives in tangible and digital formats. We partner with students, educators, scholars, and communities to record, engage, and understand the past. We foster active learning with the oldest sources of knowledge and the newest technologies. Balancing responsible stewardship with inquiry and experimentation, DSDC is a site of curiosity and creativity at JMU, open to all.