For our first ever Patron Spotlight, we chose Emalee Money, WCU senior and English and Sociology major, who shares how the library has contributed to her college career.
What is your favorite part of the library?
The Curriculum Materials Center for sure! I love the atmosphere –– it’s like walking into my library back home––children’s books, quiet time, and so colorful. Plus, most people forget that it’s there, making it the perfect place to study.
Favorite book or books?
Oh no, this is the most painful question to ask a literature major! There’s a book for every season and reason, it’s impossible to pick a favorite. If I absolutely had to pick one, I’d go with the Ender’s Game universe or the Harry Potter series. Both began as children’s series and turned into more adult oriented, thought-provoking works. Plus, each of them have a fandom attached, and I’m a sucker for theories and criticisms!
Do you have a favorite library related memory?
The first time I brought my youngest brother to the library and he actually understood why we were there. His entire face lit up; it was like watching myself as a little kid on Christmas morning.
What would you recommend about the library to other students?
The button and magnet making machines, absolutely! They are by far the coolest way to relieve stress at the library, and you get to be creative in the process.
How does the Hunter library facilitate your research?
As a sociology and literature major, I’m in Hunter Library constantly for papers and assignments––particularly the online databases. Right now, I have an independent study on the historic and contemporary relationship between WCU and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee––examining what WCU said about the Cherokee and the sociological impacts of those words. This project couldn’t exist without the extensive records of Special Collections and the digital archives kept by the library, for which I am incredibly grateful. Thus, I’ve been spending a lot of time upstairs digging through the archives and being helped by the most friendly staff on the planet.
What songs best describe the library?
“If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys
How would you explain a database in three sentences to an eight-year-old?
A database is a computer version of a bunch of books and papers that you can use to help you do your homework.
Lastly, what’s your favorite quote?
“Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself. I am large, I contain multitudes.” – Walt Whitman
