Belonging through our collections

We are committed to fostering inclusivity and a sense of belonging through our diverse collections and initiatives.

We actively work to diversify our collections and practices, acknowledging historical biases and striving to represent a broader spectrum of voices. This involves situating existing materials in their appropriate historical contexts, engaging with communities reflected in the collections, and encouraging critical reflection to reveal neglected histories.

We have a duty to collect, preserve and manage resources representing historical record in the most responsible way possible. 

• Managing and presenting our collections

Exhibitions at the John Rylands Library

In 2023-24 the John Rylands Library focused on lesser-told stories.

Our Founders and Funders exhibition explored The University of Manchester's financial ties to the transatlantic slave trade, offering valuable context for the wider bicentenary celebrations. Co-curated with current and recently graduated MA History students, the exhibition provided practical experience in conveying historical narratives to public audiences through exhibition interpretation and events.

The Rylands benefited from new research on its special collections, including the McConnel & Kennedy and Owen Owens & Son archives, as well as new insights gained from collaborating with emerging historians. A lasting outcome of this exhibition was the Founders and Funders blog series, showcasing students' work and encouraging further research into Manchester's links to slavery. 

We Have Always Been Here was an exhibition that examined themes of self-representation, identity politics and community solidarity found in collections across the Library, including the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre. It served as a starting point to demonstrate how the Rylands is for and about everyone. 

• Explore our Special Collections

Anti-Racism and Anti-Fascism: Then and Now

Summer 2024 saw shocking racist and Islamophobic riots in across the country, including in Manchester. 

The Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre published an 'Anti-Racism and Anti-Fascism: Then and Now' reading list in response, to support thinking about how to take action against these disturbing events. While not minimising the seriousness of events nor the legitimate fears of Muslims and Global Majority people, it is important to recognise that communities have a long history of resistance and taking care of each other. Just as the RACE Centre's collections document racism in its many forms, they also document the long and unbroken histories of anti-racist and anti-fascist activity, and of community resistance and resilience. 

• Visit the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre website to explore the work of the centre in anti-racist activism, refugeeism and migration, and the development of thinking about race and ethnicity.
• Statement on dismantling racism by Director of the John Rylands Library, Professor Christopher Pressler