▁the ▁Al th orp ▁Library ▁of ▁Lord ▁Sp encer ▁regarded ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁fin est ▁library ▁collections ▁in ▁private ▁ownership ▁with ▁ 4 3 , 0 0 0 ▁items ▁- ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁which ▁origin ate ▁from ▁before ▁ 1 5 0 1 ▁( i . e . ▁inc un ab ula ). ▁Mrs ▁Ry lands ▁paid ▁£ 2 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁for ▁Sp encer ' s ▁collection ▁which ▁included ▁the ▁Ald ine ▁Collection ▁and ▁an ▁inc un ab ula ▁collection ▁of ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁items . ▁ ▁O w ens ▁College ▁Library ▁received ▁Richard ▁C ople y ▁Christ ie ' s ▁library ▁of ▁over ▁ 8 , 0 0 0 ▁volumes ▁including ▁many ▁rare ▁books ▁from ▁the ▁Renaissance ▁period ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 1 . ▁It ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Victoria ▁University ▁of ▁Manchester ▁library ▁from ▁ 1 9 0 4 ▁and ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁John ▁Ry lands ▁Library ▁building ▁after ▁the ▁mer ger ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁Mrs ▁Ry lands ▁paid ▁£ 1 5 5 , 0 0 0 ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁manuscript s ▁owned ▁by ▁James ▁L inds ay , ▁ 2 6 th ▁Earl ▁of ▁C raw ford ▁of ▁Ha igh ▁Hall . ▁The ▁Bibli othe ca ▁Lind es iana ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁impress ive ▁private ▁collections ▁in ▁Britain ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁both ▁for ▁its ▁size ▁and