The Collection

The library holds information which records the history of coal mining in England.

It has material which covers not only technical aspects of coal mining and the geology, but also the political, social and economic aspects as well.

The library contains a variety of source material such as accident reports, annual reports, dictionaries, government publications, health and safety legislation, journals, manufacturers’ catalogues, newspapers, NUM minutes, statistics, technical papers, textbooks and yearbooks.

Some particular sources include the Mining Journal, the Colliery Guardian newspaper, the Guide to the Coalfields, the Colliery Yearbook, the Lists of Mines, the reports of the Inspectors of Mines, and some early publications on the coal mining industry.

A note for family historians

Although we hope to have background information of interest to you in the library, please be aware that the archive material for each coal mine and the people who worked there, if it survives, is deposited in the local record offices and is not part of the library collection.

For a full list of items held in the library click here

Library opening times

Wednesday 1pm - 4pm

Thursday 10am - 12.30pm & 1pm - 4pm

Friday 10am - 12.30pm & 1pm - 4pm

Plus the first full weekend of each month (times as Thursday & Friday)

None of the material may be borrowed but photocopies can be supplied at 10p per copy within copyright restrictions.

So if you want to know what it was like to be a miner, are interested in a particular coalfield, are a specialist in mining equipment or just enthusiastic about coal mining, then contact the library at curatorial.librarian@ncm.org.uk or call in during the opening times, as stated above.