As a busy week draws towards its close, I’m on a train from London to Manchester, which prompted me to remember a friend’s recent recommendation of the Portico Library and Gallery. I’ve never been but it is obviously a jewel. There is a history of the library for those interested: [amazon_link id=”185936070X” target=”_blank” ]The Portico Library: A History[/amazon_link]

And it’s another reminder that – as I highlighted in my recent JRF Foundation/University of York Lecture – the later 19th century was an incredible era of institution-building. We’re still living off that legacy rather than investing in our own.

[amazon_image id=”185936070X” link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]The Portico Library: A History[/amazon_image]