John Rylands University Library

The John Rylands University Library (The JRUL) is the University of Manchester's library and information service. It was formed in July 1972 from the merger of the library of the Victoria University of Manchester with the John Rylands Library. On 1 October 2004 it joined the library of the University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology on the merger of the two universities.

The main library is on the Oxford Road Campus of the University in Chorlton on Medlock: the postal address is Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PP, UK, though the library entrance is at Burlington Street. The forms of the library's official name have varied slightly over the period of its existence: once as "John Rylands University Library of Manchester". The Library is a National Research Library (an award of the Higher Education Funding Council for England): the only one in the north of England.

Contents

It is the largest non-legal deposit academic library in the United Kingdom, has the largest collection of electronic resources of any library in the UK and supports all subject areas taught by the University. The JRUL provides its members with a plethora of services and resources, including an extensive range of electronic resources. A limited range of services is also provided for members of the public, schools and commercial companies.

Library buildings

The main building is located at Burlington Street, west of Oxford Road: (building no. 55 on the University's Campus Guide): the oldest part of this is the east wing of 1936: it was extended by south and west wings in 1953-56 and by the Muriel Stott hall in 1978. Until 1965 it was known as the Arts Library as the Christie Building contained the scientific section of the library and the Medical Library was also in a separate building until 1981. The larger part to the north opened in 1981 (architects: Dane, Scherrer & Hicks): it had been designed in 1972 as the first instalment of a larger building. The John Rylands University Library has a number of satellite libraries in other University buildings, including the Eddie Davies Library (Manchester Business School) and the Joule Library (Sackville Street Building).

Notable collections housed in the Main Library are the Guardian Archives, the Manchester Collection (on local medical history), maps and plans, and the Christian Brethren Archive. Also within the Main Library are the offices of the Manchester Medical Society which has had accommodation within the University since 1874.