David Black

About me

I am an experienced information professional with wide-ranging interests, including research, digital projects, and data management. Over the years, I have worked in nearly every aspect of academic librarianship, from digital asset management to library instruction, cataloging, and archives. I hold a Masters of Library Science from Catholic University and a Masters of History from JMU, with a focus on Early Modern Europe, especially religious and intellectual history.

About Digital Assets

We provide access to source material and increase the visibility and accessibility of the scholarly products created by the JMU community. We manage JMU Scholarly Commons, the university’s institutional repository, and provide consultations to the university community on its use. We offer digital preservation services to support student and faculty scholarship. We also provide long-term preservation solutions for vital institutional and cultural heritage materials, and offer consultations on best practices for digital curation.

About Discovery, Access, and Technology

We are responsible for collections, metadata, and technology. Departments include Access and Delivery, Interlibrary Loan and Course Reserves, Metadata Strategies, Collection Administration, Scholarly Communications Strategies, and Technology.

DATech’s Mission: To steward the entire lifecycle of collections and academic resources through a commitment to research support, equitable access, sustainability, reliable infrastructure, and care for the many communities we support.

DATech’s Vision: To develop and sustain innovative and integrative services that maximize equitable, enduring access to collections and academic resources while cultivating staff expertise and supporting capacity in a highly collaborative and adaptive unit.

About Scholarly Communications Strategies

Together with the Digital Assets team, we provide holistic support for scholarly communications across JMU, including the development of inclusive and equitable practices related to publishing model support. We provide expertise in copyright, author rights, open educational resources, open publishing, and open infrastructure initiatives.