Keeping Liberty University’s Massive Asset Library Safe and Easy to Use

Liberty U needed a system to scale

Liberty University is a large private institution in Virginia with over 700 academic programs and a strong presence in NCAA Division I athletics. Their creative team supports a wide range of departments, programs, and marketing needs across campus.

As the university expanded, demand for visual content increased across internal teams and external audiences. They needed a system that could scale, simplify access, and keep content moving without slowing down their photographers.

The challenge: Managing growth without slowing down content

Joel Coleman, the Managing Photographer, and KJ Jugar, Senior Photographer, spend their days capturing the vibrant life of Liberty University. Their work involves shooting countless events and managing a huge archive of images. Getting those photos to the people who needed them, when they needed them, was an ongoing struggle.

• Outdated DAM couldn’t scale with needs. The system failed as demand increased. Joel explained, “Our DAM at that time was not willing or able to scale with us. Technologically speaking, it was not as robust as some of the other solutions we were considering.” As usage expanded across departments, the platform became a bottleneck instead of a support system.
• Limited control of file access. They couldn’t give different departments specific access to certain photos. Joel said it was “kind of everything or nothing,” which didn’t work for a large archive. Teams needed flexibility to share assets safely without exposing everything.
• VPN-only access slowed down delivery. Teams had to connect just to access or deliver files. Joel noted this wasn’t feasible as “social media and hybrid roles grew.” It created delays in moments where speed mattered most.
• Adding users took days. Every new user required IT involvement. KJ shared that adding access meant “submitting a ticket… maybe a couple of days after that.” It slowed onboarding and wasted time.
• Delivery and storage were disconnected. Assets lived in separate systems. KJ explained that images were sometimes uploaded for delivery, but never made it into the DAM. It created extra steps for the photographer or project coordinator, and sometimes the content got lost.

“As the university continued to grow, as our team grew, as our marketing department grew, as our usage of images grew not only for our internal needs but also externally, there came a time when we just needed more.”

Joel Coleman, Managing Photographer, Liberty University

The solution: One DAM system that scales

Managing photos at Liberty University felt like an uphill battle. With Photoshelter, everything runs through a single system built to support growth and speed.

• DAM that scales with demand. PhotoShelter grew alongside the Liberty U team. Joel said, “There are so many ways PhotoShelter has supported us as our needs have evolved.” The system now handles increasing volume without breaking.
• Access is now controlled at every level. Joel explained, “We have users from every corner of the university accessing this for so many different projects, and we have to be very sensitive with the amount of access given and make sure that all of that information is accurate.” Teams get what they need without the risk of revealing the full archive.
• Self-service design. People can find and download the images they need themselves, which means Joel and KJ spend less time on requests and more time shooting. Joel explains, “Our goal has been, from the very beginning, to design a service that is as self-service as possible. We want people to be able to get into it, understand where to find stuff and how to use it, and then let them go.”
• Analytics justify investment and prove ROI. With PhotoShelter Analytics, the team can now easily show how much their photo system is being used, proving its value to the university. KJ mentioned, “Being able to showcase that information is really important. It’s icing on the cake to be able to say, ‘this is how critical this has been to our process over the last year.’”
• AI Visual Search supports their large galleries. For shoots with thousands of images, AI Visual Search helps users quickly find what they’re looking for, even if it hasn’t been keyworded. KJ gave an example: “For commencement, we delivered about 2,500 images. That’s a lot to look through if you’re looking for something specific. That’s not necessarily something we would have keyworded, but that is something the AI search feature can find really well.”

“When we transitioned to PhotoShelter and consolidated all those images, we quickly realized there were actually a lot of photos that fell through the cracks before. Now our DAM and our delivery system are one and the same. Being able to upload images and have users easily access them where they permanently live has been a lifesaver.”

KJ Jugar, Senior Photographer, Liberty University

Modern DAM support for Liberty University’s visual story

PhotoShelter has truly changed how Liberty University handles its vast collection of images. What used to be a frustrating process of managing separate systems, slow access, and lost photos is now a smooth, efficient operation. Joel and KJ’s team can now focus on what they do best: capturing the spirit of Liberty University, knowing that their photos are secure, accessible, and ready for anyone who needs them, whenever they need them.

“We don’t want to be the linchpin in anything being successful. We want to be able to keep that pipeline flowing for whatever creative idea or logistical need…

We know that PhotoShelter can meet that.”

Joel Coleman, Managing Photographer, Liberty University