Elaine Hooker ’90

This is part 13 in our weekly summer blog series in which we highlight some of the amazing Furman alumni who have gone on to work in library and information professions. Click here to view all posts in this series.

This week we are introducing Elaine Hooker a Development Research Specialist at Wheaton College. Hooker graduated from Furman in 1990 with a bachelor’s in English; in 1995 she completed her master’s in library science from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

Tell us a little bit about how you chose to work as a library and information professional?

“I struggled to find my vocation after graduating with my English major, but my love of learning new things and helping other people eventually led me to library work.”

What has been your professional path to your current position?

“I have been fortunate to work in all types of libraries. My love of learning and my desire to help others have continually led me to interesting professional and personal growth opportunities.”

What is the most interesting library in which you’ve worked?

“The Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College, a research library and archive holding collections related to 7 British authors including C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien–including the desk where Tolkien wrote “The Hobbit” and a wardrobe carved by C.S. Lewis’s grandfather.”

What is something you have been surprised by during your career?

“The dead still speak. 🙂 Nothing is ever wasted.”

Is there a particularly fond memory from your time at Furman that you would be willing to share?

“My father forgot to pay my housing deposit on time in the Spring of my freshman year, so I was unable to participate in the housing lottery. I was devastated. But I ended up being placed in the “Dining Hall Apartment” with 6 other delightful women, one of whom now lives 45 minutes away from me in IL. We continue to share life together. It was a great lesson about how some of the best happenings in our lives are unexpected gifts.”