Joseph Dent knew the gifts that great literature could bring to those fortunate enough to become acquainted with it; he worked with books his entire life, first as a master bookbinder and then as a publisher.

He also knew what it was to have limited financial resources. Born in 1849 in Darlington, England, he left school before his 14th birthday and went to London with just half a crown to his name.

Many years later, he hit upon a notion that would weave those two strands together. His plan to was to reprint the world’s great works of literature in beautiful, high-quality editions and to sell them for one shilling apiece. He set an extremely ambitious target: 1,000 titles.

“For a few shillings, the reader may have a whole bookshelf of the immortals; for five pounds (which will procure him with a hundred volumes) a man may be intellectually rich for life,” he said.

The result was the celebrated Everyman’s Library series, which Dent began in 1906 with Boswell’s “Life of Samuel Johnson.” The gilt floral spines and petite dimensions of the Everyman’s Library books are familiar to anyone who has frequented used-book stores or explored a dusty attic.

UNC’s Wilson Library will examine the 102-year history of Everyman's Library in a free public exhibit, "The ABC of Collecting Everyman's Library: Archives, Books, Collections."

The exhibit, to run from Thursday through March 31, will showcase 107 historic Everyman's titles. Among them are a copy of "Nicholas Nickleby" rebound in pink suede as a gift from actress Elizabeth Taylor to her then-husband, Richard Burton; a copy of "Alice in Wonderland" that belonged to Alice (Liddell) Hargreaves, the inspiration for Lewis Carroll's story; and Aristotle's "Metaphysics" — which Everyman’s Library published in 1956 as the 1,000th title in the series — annotated by C.S. Lewis, author of the Narnia tales.

Advertising, bookmarks and business records from the J.M. Dent & Sons archive, which is held in Wilson Library, also will be displayed.

Terry Seymour, who wrote "A Guide to Collecting Everyman's Library," will speak Thursday at 6 p.m. in Wilson Library. Items from his collection of Everyman's books will be on loan to UNC as part of the exhibit.

In his free public talk, "The Adventures of a Collector," Seymour will discuss his experiences in acquiring the books, as well as a bit about Dent.

"He wanted to make money, but he had a lot of idealism, too," said Seymour, an independent scholar and retired financial planner. Dent’s idea to publish great books with high production standards and sell them at the affordable price "succeeded beyond Dent's wildest dreams," Seymour said. Libby Chenault, exhibit curator and rare book librarian, said the exhibit will be both a celebration of Everyman's Library and a chance for people to learn more about collecting.

"There's nothing quite like Everyman's Library," she said. "The books are familiar, they're beautiful, and even today many cost less than $20 each. They're a wonderful window into the excitement of building a personal collection of books, or anything else."

The exhibit will be in the Melba Remig Saltarelli Exhibit Room on the third floor of Wilson Library. Hours are weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Call 962-1143 or e-mail rbcref@email.unc.edu for exhibit information. For information on Seymour's talk, contact Liza Terll at 962-4207 or liza_terll@unc.edu.