Hunter Library is committed to building regionally oriented, historically significant collections of broad cultural and research interest. Many collections are available online; others are housed on the library's second floor.
The Hunter Library Special Collections Reading Room is open to WCU students, faculty, and staff from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00-5:00 p.m. Please call 828-227-7474 for entry when you arrive. For the safety of you and our staff, you will be required to wear a mask at all times and stay at least 6 feet apart from others. The reading room will be limited to three people at a time.
Special Collections staff are available for research assistance via email and phone, 828-227-7474 and you can browse our extensive Digital Collections online.
Community members may visit the Reading Room by appointment. To schedule an appointment, email specialcollections@wcu.edu or leave a voicemail at 828-227-7474 and we will return your call as soon as possible. For the safety of you and our staff, you will be required to wear a mask at all times and stay at least 6 feet apart from others. The reading room will be limited to three people at a time.
Digital Collections provide a foundation for research, education, and humanities programming through their documentation of significant aspects of the American story.
The images in these collections can be downloaded for private use without cost or permission. Use of any images for publication--articles, exhibitions, etc.--requires notification and permission. To request permission or for higher resolution images, please contact Special Collections at specialcollections@wcu.edu.
The regional collections housed in Hunter Library’s Special Collections focus on manuscripts
documenting southern Appalachian life and natural history, with particular attention
to western North Carolina. The manuscripts include letters, diaries, business and
financial records, legal documents, literary productions, maps, news clippings, and
photographs. Specific collections may represent the activities or history of an individual,
a family, a business, or organization.
Areas of collecting interest include:
This collection contains books that would be difficult to replace if damaged or lost and includes materials pertaining to regional history and culture, Appalachian wilderness, and the behavior of spiders. Special Collections books do not circulate but may be used in the Special Collections reading room.