The Horne Library Paranormal Ghost has haunted the library since 1997. The haunting originally took place in the library when it was located in the student center. A new library building was erected in 2002, and the ghost migrated to the new location just across the street.
The encounters usually occur when the library is quieter - in the early evening hours. Typically, there are sounds of books being moved on the shelves or being thrown from the stacks onto the floor. A previous employee recalled the sound of the library door opening and closing but no one ever entered. A ghost (which appears as a female) has been seen once. Its presence has also been felt and heard which lends more evidence of its existence.
Ghostly tales of the benevolent presence have been passed down over the years. Typically, the ghost makes its presence known by moving books and making noise. Read on for real life stories from some of SPCC Libraries' employees, as well as evidence provided by a Ghost Hunting Club that spent a night in the Horne Library to investigate.
One of the library staff had this encounter on April 7, 2014.
"It was Monday night and my late night working in the Library. I was all alone doing some research on the computer. As I read a few articles I noticed a shadow moving in the lobby. However, when I would turn and look, nothing was there. I continued reading just thinking it was my mind playing tricks on me, but this shadow movement continued for about 15 more minutes. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned about this figure moving in the lobby, which did not appear to have a body, but I just ignored it. I received a call from the receptionist at the front desk, and I was so relieved to have someone to chat with. We talked for maybe five minutes and then returned back to work. It was a little after 7 p.m. when I noticed a shadow now [inside the library] walking towards me. The shadow was moving from the copier and was walking along the stacks. When I looked up the figure turned into the stacks, and this was when I realized that it was a woman with short, sort of wavy, dirty blonde hair."
This staff member has also encountered the sound of books being thrown from the stacks in the evenings when no one was there.
In the fall semester of 2011, a different library staff member recalled this encounter.
"It was a Thursday night, and I was closing, I heard a noise that sounded like someone was pulling books off the shelf and throwing them on the floor. It was so loud that I thought it was a couple of college students in the stacks. I got up and rushed over there but found no one. I went back to the circulation desk and sat down. Then I heard noises in the work room that sounded like someone was moving items on the shelves. I went back there and found no one. At this point I freaked out and called security. While I am still standing at the desk, I start to feel really shaky. Then I feel a chill go through my hair as if someone is right behind me. I turned around from the front desk, but no one was there."
The library worker stated she felt as if the ghost had come up right behind her and that she had actually felt its presence that night.
Glass by door where the ghost shadow (with no body) was seen pacing in the hallway outside.
This is the same door that sounded like it was opening and closing but no one entered.
Area where the ghost was seen inside the library (Ghost Tale 1).
Stacks the ghost was seen walking down before it disappeared.
In December 2016, a group of UNC Charlotte students - all members of a Ghost Hunting Club - spent an evening in the Horne Library. They had heard tale of some of the spooky stories that were told about the Horne Library, and wanted to find out once and for all if there was a ghost living there. Equipped with video and audio recorders, the club compiled evidence that, to them, confirmed there was some sort of paranormal presence residing in the Horne Library. Below are some excerpts of the footage they compiled. Is there a ghost in Horne? You decide for yourself! The audio footage is rather faint, so make sure to put your volume all the way up, and use headphones if possible.
Audio
Video
Encounter on March 25, 2015
This library employee came to work about 30 minutes earlier than usual this day. Upon opening the door at 7:15, a sound of a female, child-like voice was immediately heard. The words were in English, but they were being said so rapidly that they were unintelligible. However, the words were so loud the library employee thought oddly that a child was somehow in the library and said "hello?". The sound was coming from the first study room. A window to the room is visible as you enter the library and is immediately behind the library desk. She could not see anyone through the glass but the light was off. After putting down her things as the voice continued to sound, she resumed saying "hello, is anybody there?" in a louder voice and walked to the first study room. The door was open and she turned on the light. The room was empty. She checked the second study room, and it was also empty. However, in doing so she realized the sound was still coming from the first study room. Likewise, she walked to the back room with a shared wall with the study room still saying out loud "hello?" but it was empty. The sound was definitely from the empty study room. She turned back toward the library desk area once again when the library door opened for a second employee entering. Suddenly, the child-like voice stopped. Besides the two employees, no one else was found in the library and the mystery of the rapid, chanting, female voice remains unsolved.
Study room where the child-like voice was heard in Ghost Tale 3.