▁England . ▁The ▁library , ▁which ▁opened ▁to ▁the ▁public ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁was ▁founded ▁by ▁En ri qu eta ▁August ina ▁Ry lands ▁in ▁memory ▁of ▁her ▁husband , ▁John ▁Ry lands . ▁The ▁John ▁Ry lands ▁Library ▁and ▁the ▁library ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Manchester ▁merged ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁into ▁the ▁John ▁Ry lands ▁University ▁Library ▁of ▁Manchester ; ▁today ▁it ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁The ▁University ▁of ▁Manchester ▁Library . ▁ ▁Special ▁collections ▁built ▁up ▁by ▁both ▁libraries ▁were ▁progress ively ▁concentr ated ▁in ▁the ▁De ans gate ▁building . ▁The ▁special ▁collections , ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁among ▁the ▁largest ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁include ▁medieval ▁ill umin ated ▁manuscript s ▁and ▁examples ▁of ▁early ▁European ▁printing , ▁including ▁a ▁G uten berg ▁Bible , ▁the ▁second ▁largest ▁collection ▁of ▁printing ▁by ▁William ▁Ca xt on , ▁and ▁the ▁most ▁extensive ▁collection ▁of ▁the ▁ed itions ▁of ▁the ▁Ald ine ▁Press ▁of ▁Ven ice . ▁The ▁Ry lands ▁Library ▁Pap yrus ▁P 5 2 ▁has ▁a ▁claim ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁earliest ▁ext ant ▁New ▁Testament ▁text . ▁The ▁library ▁holds ▁personal ▁papers ▁and ▁letters ▁of ▁notable ▁figures , ▁among ▁them ▁Elizabeth ▁G askell ▁and ▁John ▁Dal ton . ▁ ▁The ▁architect ural ▁style ▁is ▁primarily ▁ne o - G oth ic ▁with ▁elements ▁of ▁Arts ▁and ▁C raft s ▁Mov ement ▁in ▁the ▁orn ate ▁and ▁impos ing ▁gate house ▁facing ▁De ans gate ▁which ▁domin ates ▁the ▁surrounding ▁streets cape .