An Analysis of the Holdings of James Joyce's ULYSSES in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Rare Book Collection

by Horvath, K.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill holds an impressive collection of rare editions of James Joyce’s Ulysses, a work central to the history of twentieth-century literature. This paper analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the Ulysses collection, compares it against a representative sample of repositories that collect Joyce, and closes with recommendations to improve the collection.

This study concludes that the University of North Carolina’s Ulysses holdings rank in the second tier of libraries in the sample. Elite collections such as those at Yale University and the University of Texas contain dozens or even hundreds of rare copies of the novel, while third-tier collections have only a few copies of some editions. The University of North Carolina holds a collection of substantial breadth, with one copy of most of the significant editions. This study’s recommendations will help the collection development librarian make plans to complete the set and supplement worn copies of important editions.