Welcome to the Jones Memorial Library Digital Collections

This site includes more than 35,000 items and digitized materials from the Jones collections. There are many items held at the Library only in physical format.  Researchers may want to check our book catalog for print materials that have not been digitized.  

Jones Memorial Library's digital collections are organized to enable keyword and subject searching.  You can browse all items in the collection or search for specific materials.  

  • ITEMS are unique manuscripts, blueprints, photographs, and other materials which we typically describe by title, creator (author), and subject. The descriptive details about an item are called metadata. Not all items will have similar metadata.  Items may include a single page document or hundreds of pages.   Use the scroll window to view all of the attached images for an item.  If an item does not have media attached, it means that the materials has not been digitized.  
  • ITEM SETS include multiple items that relate to the same topic or subject. Item sets for manuscripts will include a FINDING AID, which is a list of the contents that are held in physical format at the library.  When parts of the manuscript collection are digitized, they are tagged in the related Item Set.

The following types of materials are included in the Digital Collections:

  1. Manuscripts are unpublished materials.  The barcodes and identifiers for our manuscripts include details such as the Manuscript number (abbreviated as "MS") plus the box number, files number, or page numbers of the digitized material.  Finding Aids to manuscripts include the manuscript number followed by the abbreviation "FA".  
  2. Pamphlet Files are published and unpublished materials related to a specific subject.  Pamphlet files may include materials collected by Library staff for reference purposes.  Pamphlet files include the indicator PAM followed by the locator number for the physical collection.
  3. Family Files include published and unpublished materials related to a specific surname or family.  Family files typically include genealogical information.  Please note that not all of the individuals in a family file are related; individuals may be simply have the same surname.  Family files include the indicator FF followed by the locator number for the physical collection.
  4. The News & Advance Photo Archive includes digitized photographs plus clippings from the Lynchburg News & Advance newspaper.  This collection is organized by subject as assigned by the newspaper when the image was taken.  News & Advance Photo Archive images include the indicator NA followed by the subject set and the image number for the physical collection.
  5. Photographs in the collection include portraits taken by Parker Studios. These images are indicated by the prefix P, followed by the number of the image in the physical collection.  We also have images of Lynchburg streets, buildings, people, and neighborhoods in the Lynchburg Images Collection. These images are indicated by the prefix LIC followed by the box and folder number in the physical collection.
  6. Blueprints, architectural plans, renderings, and related materials are part of the Lynchburg Architectural Archive.  Materials in this collection are typically organized by architect and include the indicator LAA followed by the locator number for the physical item.  We add digitzed materials whenever possible but most of our LAA holdings are only available in physical format at the library. 
  7. A small number of Maps are digitized and items include the indicator MAP.
  8. Indexes are lists of related resources, materials, and people.  Some indexes have been created by library staff for frequently requested information such as historic lists of city officials. Indexes exist mainly in downloadable Excel formats and have the indictor INDEX followed by the locator number. 

To request materials for use in the library's Reading Room, please submit a MATERIALS HOLD REQUEST.  You may submit one form for all materials you are requesting. We are always happy to try to accomodate urgent requests, but we typically require three (3) business days advance notice to pull materials.  Materials for use in the Reading Room are then kept ON HOLD for two weeks. 

To request digitization of materials from our physical collections, please submit a DIGITIZATION REQUEST. Researchers may also contact us directly at refdesk@jmlibrary.org to request digitization.  Digitization requests are entered into a queue and are subject to staff time and availability. Please note that fragile or rare items may not be digitized.