NEWS

Local angle: Winston-Salem

Notes: The ceremony begins at 6 p.m. tonight.

By KYLE YORK
Office of University Development

CHAPEL HILL -- A Winston-Salem family has made the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill library the first in the Southeast and one of only 20 in North America to reach the 5-million volume milestone.

That volume is part of a 1,200-piece William Butler Yeats collection acquired by the library that contains rare works and other materials relating to the celebrated late-19th, early-20th century Irish poet. The John Wesley and Anna Hodgin Hanes Foundation of Winston-Salem provided the funds to buy the collection, continuing its unprecedented tradition of funding each of the library's millionth volume acquisitions.

The Yeats collection, touted by book dealers as one of the best such collections in existence, was unveiled Friday night (Feb. 11) in a public ceremony at UNC-CH’s Louis Round Wilson Library. F. Borden Hanes Jr., representing the Hanes family foundation, presented Interim Chancellor William O. McCoy with the ceremonial 5 millionth volume, a rare 1895-printed first edition of Yeats's collected poems entitled "Poems." The materials will be showcased in the library's rare book exhibit area through May 31 and then added to the rare book collection along with the other millionth volumes.

The library acquired the collection through a network of university faculty and alumni. Alumnus, former English department chair and Yeats scholar George Harper spent 30 years amassing the collection, obtaining some of the rarest materials from his friend Michael Yeats, the poet's son. Concerned with the collection's future safekeeping, Harper decided to leave it with an academic institution. He contacted a friend in the UNC-CH English department and began the discussions that

Would lead to his donation of part of the collection with the rest being purchased with Hanes family foundation funds.

"This is a splendid collection that adds a great deal to the research value of our holdings," said Dr. Joe Hewitt, associate provost for university libraries. "And it's something that could never have happened for Carolina without the generosity of the Hanes family. It's a perfect example of the levels of distinction and excellence that can be achieved through private support."

The Yeats collection builds on the strength of the library's 20th century Irish literature holdings and establishes Carolina as a major international resource for its study, Hewitt said. As the permanent home to Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney collections, the library is a rich reserve for scholarly researchers as well as literary enthusiasts, he said.

With Yeats being taught at all levels at the university, the collection is likely to touch students from a variety of academic programs.

Rare Books Curator Charles McNamara said the collection will be accessible to the public and used as a teaching tool for students. "Yeats was often dissatisfied with his writing and has scratched over his work in some editions," he said. "Imagine an undergraduate creative writing student opening one of these editions and realizing that even the masters have to struggle with their gift. That's an education you just will not get from a regular textbook."

Accessibility is an important consideration for Frank Hanes, trustee of the Hanes family foundation, who graduated from the university before going on to a career as a businessman, journalist, novelist and poet. "These books are rare treasures, but they are treasures meant to be used and shared," he said. "The more people and young minds that great literature can touch, the better."

The Hanes family's support for the library began in 1929 with a donation to purchase a collection of 15th century books that helped start UNC-CH’s rare book collection. "It's difficult to talk about rare books at Carolina without talking about the Hanes family," McNamara said. "They were there in the beginning, and they have been with us every step of the way."

Previous millionth volumes funded by the Hanes foundation are:

1 million, "Confessio Amantis" by John Gower, printed in 1483 by William Caxton, England's first printer. Acquired in 1960.

2 million, "Book of Hawking, Hunting and Heraldry" by Dame Juliana Berners, printed in 1486, the first English book with color printing. Acquired in 1974.

3 million, A collection of 300 books printed by the Estienne family, a famous French family of scholar-printers, known for their splendid typography. Acquired in 1984.

4 million, "Several Poems" by Anne Bradstreet, printed by John Foster in 1678, first book of poetry by a woman published in America. Acquired in 1992.

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Development office contact: Kyle York, (919) 962-4446