Friends of the John Rylands was launched on Monday 2nd February by Sir Howard Bernstein, Chief Executive of Manchester City Council.
Sir Howard said that cities that aspire to be world class have to allow facilities such as the library to flourish, and he pointed to the importance of those facilities being made widely available. 
The John Rylands Library is undoubtedly one of the greatest libraries in the world," said Bill Simpson, director of the library. "We want to share it with the people of Manchester and the north west. Friends of John Rylands will help us to do this, and will allow people to benefit from special opportunities to enjoy its treasures, hear distinguished speakers and see how the collections are cared for behind the scenes. This is a great opportunity for people to become involved in a wonderful intellectual voyage of discovery."