. ▁The ▁library ▁purchase ▁was ▁for ▁the ▁record ▁price ▁of ▁£ 2 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁she ▁commission ed ▁the ▁Manchester ▁academic ▁Alice ▁Co oke ▁to ▁index ▁it . ▁ ▁The ▁library ▁was ▁inaugur ated ▁on ▁ 6 ▁October ▁ 1 8 9 9 , ▁the ▁anni versary ▁of ▁her ▁marriage . ▁On ▁the ▁same ▁day , ▁she ▁was ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁Fre edom ▁of ▁the ▁City ▁of ▁Manchester , ▁the ▁first ▁woman ▁to ▁be ▁so ▁hon oured . ▁She ▁was ▁committed ▁to ▁many ▁phil anth rop ic ▁and ▁mission ary ▁causes ▁and ▁be que athed ▁much ▁of ▁her ▁wealth ▁to ▁educational ▁and ▁medical ▁institutions ▁( including ▁the ▁Victoria ▁University ▁of ▁Manchester ▁and ▁the ▁library ▁she ▁had ▁founded ). ▁She ▁received ▁the ▁honor ary ▁degree ▁Doctor ▁of ▁Liter ature ▁( D . L itt .) ▁from ▁the ▁Victoria ▁University ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 0 2 , ▁in ▁connection ▁with ▁the ▁ 5 0 th ▁j ub ile e ▁celebr ations ▁of ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁O w ens ▁College . ▁ ▁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 ▁the