John Rylands Library

The John Rylands Library is a Victorian Gothic building on Deansgate in Manchester, England. The library, which opened to the public in 1900, was founded by Mrs Enriqueta Augustina Rylands in memory of her late husband, John Rylands.

The John Rylands Library and the library of the University of Manchester merged in July 1972 and and were renamed the John Rylands University Library of Manchester. Special collections built up by both libraries were progressively concentrated in the Deansgate building.

The special collections, believed to be among the largest in the United Kingdom, include medieval illuminated manuscripts and examples of the earliest forms of European printing, including the Gutenberg Bible.
The Rylands Library Papyrus P52 is believed to be the earliest extant of a New Testament text. The library holds personal papers and letters of notable figures such as Elizabeth Gaskell and John Dalton.

The library was granted Grade I listed status in 1994. The library has been extended four times, the last time in 2007 when an earlier extension was demolished.