While I was in Manchester for the CILIP New Professionals Conference, I couldn’t resist visiting some of the cities famous libraries. Manchester has several unique libraries, including the fabulous and historic John Rylands Library on Deansgate. The Victorian gothic architecture and many carved bosses on the high, arched ceilings make this library seem like a cathedral. The collections at the John Rylands Library feature many rare books and manuscripts, including the St. John fragment, the earliest known fragment of the New Testament from the collection of Greek papyri.
The Central Library was unfortunately closed for renovations, and will not reopen until 2013, but it is also worth visiting for its Neoclassical rotunda. The library even has its own on-site theatre company, who often perform works in historic sites around Manchester such as the Ancoats Mills.
