James Madison University is a public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the institution was renamed Madison College in 1938 in honor of President James Madison and then James Madison University in 1977. The mission of JMU Libraries' 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 Carrier Library’s 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, Carrier Library 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.