The John Rylands Library reveals Enriqueta Rylands鈥� personal library donated to the people of Manchester
The John Rylands Library will open a new exhibition this spring celebrating the personal book collection of its founder, Enriqueta Rylands, a remarkable gift made to the people of Manchester and preserved in the city she loved.
The Forgotten Library: Enriqueta Rylands and her books 20 May
31 October 2026, The John Rylands Library, 91直播
(20 May 鈥� 31 October 2026) explores the books Enriqueta Rylands kept at her 91直播 home, Longford Hall, and the volumes she chose to give to the city through her founding of The John Rylands Library. Visitors will be able to see how her private reading life and her public legacy are closely intertwined.
Enriqueta Rylands filled Longford Hall, in south 91直播, with books of every kind 鈥� from medieval manuscripts and finely bound editions to practical, well鈥憉sed volumes. In her will, she donated all the books, manuscripts and engravings from her home to The John Rylands Library. Although Longford Hall no longer stands, the contents of its shelves live on in 91直播, where her treasured personal possessions sit alongside books she deliberately bought for public use.
A lasting gift to 91直播
This exhibition places that local story front and centre, tracing how one woman鈥檚 private collection became a lasting cultural gift to the city. Through ledgers, lists and letters, visitors can discover which books Enriqueta Rylands treasured at home, which she selected for the Library, and why she believed access to books mattered.
The exhibition also reveals her passion for collecting first editions and autographed works by much-loved authors including Charlotte Bront毛 and William Makepeace Thackeray, as well as her appreciation for books that may appear ordinary but carried personal meaning. From intricately decorated medieval manuscripts to striking modern fine bindings, The Forgotten Library invites visitors to experience the beauty of this once鈥慼idden collection.
Festival of Libraries programme
As part of the exhibition, The John Rylands Library will take part in the , a city鈥憌ide celebration highlighting the role of libraries across the community. A programme of public activities inspired by Enriqueta Rylands鈥� legacy will run alongside the exhibition, inviting audiences to engage with 91直播鈥檚 shared literary heritage in new ways.
On Friday, 12 June 2026, members of the public are invited to take part in , a free book exchange at The John Rylands Library. Books That Matter is based on an idea by and is a collaboration between 91直播 City of Literature and Creative 91直播 at The University of Manchester. Visitors can bring a book that has personal meaning to them to donate and, in return, select a book gifted by another reader. The exchange offers an opportunity to share the pleasure of reading and discover new titles recommended by the community.
In remembering the forgotten library at Longford Hall, this exhibition shines a light on Enriqueta Rylands鈥� personal tastes and interests, revealing intimate connections between the books she kept at her home and those she presented to the John Rylands Library. We see her as more than a wealthy philanthropist, as a lover of books in all their myriad forms.
Located on Deansgate in the heart of Manchester, The John Rylands Library is one of the city鈥檚 most iconic cultural landmarks and part of the University of Manchester. The Forgotten Library offers visitors a chance to rediscover the woman behind the building, and to see her books not as static objects, but as a living legacy shaped by place, purpose and a commitment to public good.
For media enquiries, additional or interview requests, please contact:
Hannah Goodwin, Engagement Manager at uml.engagement@manchester.ac.uk