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The Library Futures Classroom: A Home for Experimentation in the New Carrier Library

Posted April 7, 2025 in Carrier Renovation News, Educational Technology News, Featured News, Giving to JMU Libraries News, Instructional Design News, JMU Libraries News

a photo of Jamie Calcagno-Roach, Director of Educational Technology Services at JMU Libraries and Director of Faculty Development at JMU X-Labs, looking into a 3D printer
Jamie Calcagno-Roach, Director of Educational Technology Services at JMU Libraries and Director of Faculty Development at JMU X-Labs

JMU is renowned for providing engaged and transformative learning experiences for students. Central to this mission are the 500+ learning spaces on campus that are supported by staff and faculty members in JMU Libraries. Unlike most university libraries, JMU Libraries holds campus-level responsibility for classroom technology, instructional design, and academic software, while also offering essential library resources such as collections and research support. With deep expertise in classroom technology and pedagogy, the Libraries’ professionals play a vital role in enhancing the university’s dynamic learning environment.

One standout example of JMU’s innovative learning environment is 3SPACE, the nation’s first 3D printing classroom designed for general education courses. Hosted in Carrier Library from 2018 to 2023, 3SPACE is where thousands of JMU students first experienced maker-centered learning in this technology-enhanced teaching environment. Currently located in Lakeview Hall, 3SPACE allows Dukes to immerse themselves in hands-on making as part of their learning journey.

View of the Library Futures Classroom’s interior window, which will look out onto a double-height space, with floor-to-ceiling windows, in the new wing of Carrier Library
View of the Library Futures Classroom’s interior window, which will look out onto a double-height space, with floor-to-ceiling windows, in the new wing of Carrier Library

Now, we are expanding this vision and preparing to transform 3SPACE into the Library Futures Classroom, set to debut in Fall 2026 as part of the renovated and expanded Carrier Library.

Picture a vibrant, glass-walled classroom bathed in natural light, designed to seamlessly adapt to state-of-the-art technologies such as augmented and virtual reality systems, holographic displays, AI-powered design tools, and other cutting-edge innovations like haptic feedback systems and spatial computing. Flexible furnishings allow for various configurations, and student creations adorn the shelves. This space is designed for adaptability in its physical layout to support a variety of pedagogical approaches. When JMU instructors apply to teach in the Library Futures Classroom, they will be able to propose specialized software and technology that align with their curricular goals. JMU Libraries’ educational technology instructors and campus technology experts will collaborate closely with them to develop innovative, evidence-based learning experiences with those tools. 

Jamie Calcagno-Roach has played a pivotal role in shaping the Library Futures Classroom. As the Director of Educational Technology Services at JMU Libraries and Director of Faculty Development at JMU X-Labs, she brings over a decade of experience in collaborating with instructional faculty to weave technology into their courses in traditional and non-traditional classrooms across campus. Jamie drew on her extensive experience as part of the team that informed the design of this exciting new space.

“Giving faculty a space to truly experiment means I get to be part of that experiment, too. I can’t plan everything ahead of time--I get to grow and learn with this space and how it is used.  The lifelong learner in me is so giddy about this part.” --Jamie Calcagno-Roach

“We envisioned a space where creativity and innovation fuel the learning process and students and faculty can solve problems in new and different ways,” Jamie explains. “We’ll empower faculty to identify technologies suited for their course objectives. The Library Futures Classroom will be the playground where the students can experiment with using that technology in their course, and we’ll provide expertise and support every step of the way. And some of the technologies that are successfully integrated here may potentially be installed in more classrooms throughout campus. The ultimate goal is to inform the evolution of classroom technologies for campus as a whole.” 

This Library Futures Classroom is just one of several new dynamic spaces designed to spark innovation and learning in the reimagined Carrier Library. Alongside other library classrooms, the anatomy room, the accessible technologies lab, and The Makery, the new Library Futures Classroom will offer countless opportunities for exploration and creativity, leveraging the Libraries’ technologies, collections, and expertise to support Dukes as they learn and innovate. 

Carrier Library under construction, February 2025. The Library Futures Classroom will be on the 2nd floor of the Stan and Rosemary Jones Wing, the addition to the building visible in the foreground.
Carrier Library under construction, February 2025. The Library Futures Classroom will be on the 2nd floor of the Stan and Rosemary Jones Wing, the addition to the building visible in the foreground.