John Rylands Library has been extended four times, the first time to designs by Champneys in 1920 after the project was delayed by World War I. The Lady Wolfson Building opened in 1962 on the west side and a third extension, south of the first was built in 1969. In January 2003, an appeal to renovate the building was launched. Funds were generated from grants from the University of Manchester and Heritage Lottery Fund and donations from members of the public and companies in Manchester. The project, Unlocking the Rylands, demolished the third extension, refurbished parts of the old building and erected a
Mark Rylands Mark Rylands Mark James Rylands (born 11 July 1961) is a British Anglican bishop. From 2009 until 2018, he was the area Bishop of Shrewsbury in the Church of England. Rylands was born on 11 July 1961, the son of Michael Rylands and Denise née Bates. Michael was sometime Vicar of Wilton, Wiltshire, Rector of Malpas, Cheshire and honorary canon of Chester and Denise a scion of the Bates baronets (of Bellefield): her grandfather was Edward, 2nd Baronet. He was educated at Shrewsbury School and the College of St Hild and St Bede, Durham University, the latter whence he graduated