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 Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., or by appointment Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Special Collections will be open by appointment only on the following dates:
Special Collections will be closed:
For other assistance, contact us via email specialcollections@wcu.edu, or by phone, 828-227-7474.
Browse our new Southern Appalachian Digital Collections website.
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.