John Rylands Research Institute and Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John Rylands Research Institute and Library |
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| Alternative names | Rylands |
| General information | |
| Type | Library |
| Architectural style | Victorian Neo-Gothic |
| Location | Deansgate, Manchester, England |
| Coordinates | 53°28′49″N 2°14′55″W / 53.480321°N 2.2487°W |
| Construction started | 1890 |
| Completed | 1899 |
| Opened | 1 January 1900 |
| Inaugurated | 6 October 1899 |
| Renovated | 1920, 1962, 2003–07 |
| Cost | £200,000 |
| Owner | University of Manchester |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Basil Champneys |
| Main contractor | R. and W. Morrison, Liverpool |
| Designations | |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: John Rylands Library and attached railings, gates and lamp standards | |
| Designated: | 25 January 1952 |
| Reference #: | 1217800 |
The John Rylands Research Institute and Library is an amazing old building in Manchester, England. It looks like a grand church, but it's actually a library! It was built a long time ago, during the Victorian era. Today, it's part of the University of Manchester.
The library first opened its doors to the public in 1900. It was created by a woman named Enriqueta Augustina Rylands. She built it to remember her husband, John Rylands. In 1972, the library joined the University of Manchester. Now, it holds many special and rare books. These are called "Special Collections." It's one of the biggest academic libraries in the UK.
The library has a huge collection of important items. These include old medieval handwritten books with beautiful pictures. It also has some of the very first books ever printed in Europe. One of these is a Gutenberg Bible. This is a super rare and valuable book. The library also has the second largest collection of books printed by William Caxton. He was the first person to print books in England.
You can also find the Rylands Library Papyrus P52 here. Some people believe this is the oldest piece of the New Testament text that still exists. The library also keeps personal letters and papers from famous people. These include the writer Elizabeth Gaskell and the scientist John Dalton.
The building's style is called neo-Gothic. It has fancy details from the Arts and Crafts movement. The main entrance, facing Deansgate, looks very grand. The library is so special that it's a Grade I listed building. This means it's a very important historical building. The University of Manchester takes care of it. You can visit it as a reader or a tourist.
The library is recognized as a collection of national and international importance. This means it's one of the most important collections in England. As of 2020, 152 collections have this special status.
Contents
Building a Dream Library
Enriqueta Rylands bought the land for her library in 1889. She asked an architect named Basil Champneys to design it. Mrs. Rylands wanted the library to focus on religious books. The building looks a bit like a church. But it was actually inspired by college libraries in Oxford, just much bigger.
Champneys quickly showed his plans to Mrs. Rylands. They often disagreed about the details. Mrs. Rylands chose many decorations herself. This included the window glass and statues. She picked these even if Champneys didn't agree.
The library was given a special status on January 25, 1952. This was later upgraded to Grade I on June 6, 1994. This shows how important the building is.
Amazing Book Collections
The main part of the library's collection came from George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer. Mrs. Rylands bought about 40,000 books from him in 1892. Many of these books were very rare. She paid a lot of money for them. Mrs. Rylands started buying books in 1889. She kept adding to the collection throughout her life.
Another big purchase was made in 1901. Mrs. Rylands bought over 6,000 old handwritten books. These came from the Bibliotheca Lindesiana of James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford. She bought them quickly, without much discussion.
The library officially opened on January 1, 1900. When Enriqueta died in 1908, the library had over 50,000 high-quality books. Later, more books and manuscripts were added. This meant they had to build an extension behind the main building.
In July 1972, the John Rylands Library joined the Manchester University Library. They combined their special collections. These rare items were then moved to the Deansgate building.
Library Renovations
The building has been expanded four times. The first extension was designed by Champneys in 1920. This was after delays from World War I. A new building, the Lady Wolfson Building, opened in 1962. A third extension was built in 1969.
In 2003, a big project began to fix up the building. It was called Unlocking the Rylands. Funds came from the University of Manchester and the Heritage Lottery Fund. People and companies in Manchester also donated money. The project removed the third extension. It also fixed up parts of the old building. A new pitched roof was added. The original architect, Champneys, had wanted a pitched roof. But Mrs. Rylands was told a stone roof would be safer from fire.
This £17 million project finished in summer 2007. The library reopened on September 20, 2007. More upgrades are planned for the future. A £7.6 million plan was announced in February 2024. This project, 'John Rylands Next Chapter', will update the library.
Location Challenges
In the 1800s, Manchester was a busy industrial city. Factories and industries caused a lot of pollution. The air was often dirty with smoke and soot. This made designing the library a challenge.
Mrs. Rylands chose a central spot for the library. But the land was an odd shape. It was surrounded by tall buildings and narrow streets. People worried about the dirty city air. They also worried there wouldn't be enough light for reading.
Mrs. Rylands made agreements with her neighbors. This was to control the height of future buildings nearby. Champneys designed the library with tiered steps. The entrance block was kept low. This helped let light into the library.
Building Design
Outside Look
The library is built in a rectangular shape. Later additions are at the back. It looks like a church, but in a fancy neo-Gothic style. It has details from the Arts and Crafts movement. The building is made of Cumbrian sandstone. The inside stone is a light pink. The outside stone is a dark red from Penrith.
The library has a crypt below. Above that, it has two main floors. The front of the building on Deansgate is very ornate. It has a central entrance that looks like a monastery gate. There are tall windows and detailed carvings. These carvings include the "J. R." monogram for John Rylands. They also show the coats of arms of different universities.
In front of the library are beautiful Art Nouveau bronze railings. These have double gates and lamp standards.
Inside Look
The main reading room is on the first floor. It's high above the street. People noted the quiet inside, a nice contrast to the noisy city outside. Light comes in from windows in the reading areas. There are also high windows along the sides.
The reading room has two large stained glass windows. They show portraits of religious and famous people. There are also statues in the reading room. These include statues of John and Enriqueta Rylands. The statues were made by John Cassidy. He also made a special group of statues called 'Theology, Science and Art' in the entrance area.
Besides the main reading room, there are other rooms. These include Bible and map rooms. There are also rooms for meetings and lectures.
Smart Technology
Electric lighting was chosen for the library. It was the cleanest and safest option. At the time, electricity was new. So, the library made its own electricity! It was one of the first public buildings in Manchester to have electric lights. It kept making its own power until 1950.
Champneys wanted to protect the books from Manchester's dirty air. The ground floor had many air inlets. Screens were used to trap soot. Water sprays caught chemicals in the air. This was a very advanced system for its time. Doors were also used to keep the air clean inside. By 1900, electric fans were added to the system.
Amazing Collections
When it opened in 1900, the library had 70,000 books. It also had fewer than 100 handwritten books. By 2012, it had over 250,000 printed books. It also had more than a million manuscripts and old documents.
The core of the collection came from the Althorp Library of Lord Spencer. This was one of the best private book collections. It had 43,000 items. About 3,000 of these were printed before 1501. Mrs. Rylands paid £210,000 for this collection. It included a special collection of early printed books.
In 1901, Mrs. Rylands bought over 6,000 manuscripts from James Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford. This collection was called the Bibliotheca Lindesiana. It was one of the most impressive private collections in Britain.
When Mrs. Rylands died in 1908, she left her private collections to the library. She also left money to help the library grow. This money was used to buy 180,000 books and 3,000 manuscripts. It also helped pay for the building's extension.
The library has beautiful medieval handwritten books. It also has early European printed books. These include a Gutenberg Bible and books printed by William Caxton. You can also find personal papers of famous people. These include Elizabeth Gaskell, John Dalton, and John Wesley.
The library also holds very old papyrus fragments. These are called the Rylands Papyri. The most famous is the St John Fragment. This is believed to be the oldest piece of the New Testament text. It's a tiny part of the Gospel of John. Other important papyri include the earliest fragment of the Septuagint.
The library's collections have grown with many gifts and purchases. For example, the archives of the Methodist Church of Great Britain were added in 1977. In 2022, the British Pop Archive opened at the library. This is a national collection about popular culture.
Library Staff
Many people have worked as librarians at John Rylands. Henry Guppy was a librarian from 1899 to 1948. He started publishing the Bulletin of the John Rylands Library in 1903. This later became a journal with academic articles.
During World War I, 11 staff members joined the armed forces. Sadly, one of them, Captain O. J. Sutton, lost his life. Other important staff members included Alphonse Mingana and Professor Edward Robertson.
John Rylands Research Institute
The John Rylands Research Institute was started in 1987. Its goal was to support research using the library's special materials. It was relaunched in 2013. Now, it works with the University of Manchester's Faculty of Humanities.
The Institute helps researchers use the library's unique collections. They work with researchers from Manchester and around the world. The Institute has gained national and international recognition. It helps get grants to support research on the collections. Many generous donations have also helped important projects.
In 2021, the John Rylands Research Institute and The John Rylands Library joined forces. They are now known as the John Rylands Research Institute and Library.
Visitors
Many important people have visited the library. This includes heads of state. King Charles III and Queen Camilla have also visited the library.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Greater Manchester
- Listed buildings in Manchester-M3
