A Literary Destination

In 1937 Charles D. Abbott, director of University Libraries, established the “Poetry Project” to collect rare first editions of modern poetry. Today, Abbot’s Poetry Collection has expanded to more than 150,000 volumes, 9,000 periodical titles and extensive manuscript holdings, and includes the world’s largest collection of materials by and about Irish poet and author James Joyce. In June 2023, UB received $10 million in New York State funding to establish the James Joyce Museum inside Abbott Hall, which will include exhibition space to showcase the collection for visiting global scholars and the general public.