John Rylands Library Manchester University Library. Stella Butler, a medical historian, was Head of Special Collections from 2000 until 2009, and she moved to the University of Leeds in 2011 as University Librarian. Since 2009, Rachel Beckett has been Head of Special Collections and she was appointed as the Associate Director of The John Rylands Library in 2013. Jan Wilkinson has been the Director of The John Rylands Library, as well as University Librarian, since 2008. Acting Librarian David Miller founded the John Rylands Research Institute in 1987, to promote, fund and stimulate research on the primary material held at Deansgate. The John
Patrick Rylands Patrick Rylands Patrick Rylands (Hull,1943) is an English designer. After graduating in ceramics from the Royal College of Art in London in 1966 began to work as a freelancer with a number of iconic toy companies (Creative Playthings, Naef, Ambi Toys). In 1970 he became the youngest designer to be awarded the prestigious Prince Philip Designers Prize for a group of ABS plastic toys designed for the British company Trendon Toys (former producer of Sasha dolls). From 1976 up until 2002 he worked as in-house designer for the historic Dutch toy company, Ambi Toys. In 1999 he was awarded the