 Its library, named after the first President Nicholas Wood contains more than twenty thousand volumes of technical literature, in the fields of mining, geology, mechanical engineering, government blue books, mine rescue, mineralogy, mineral chemistry, mining statistics, mining law, seismology and other related topics.In 2019 the assets of the Institute - building, library and archive collections and staff - were transferred to a new charity The Common Room of the Great North which intends to 'celebrate the region's engineering history through education and engagement, with a vision to inspire the next generation of innovators and engineers'.The Institute building is closed for refurbishment until Autumn 2020.