State Library of North Carolina

STATE LIBRARY OF NORTH CAROLINA
~ Genealogical Resources ~

Within a few blocks of the Raleigh Convention Center, genealogical researchers attending the 2009 NGS Conference will find the Archives & History/State Library Building at 109 East Jones Street. In this building the Government and Heritage Library of the State Library of North Carolina offers extensive collections of published and microfilmed resources as well as electronic databases for genealogical and historical researchers.

The Genealogy Collection, located on the West Mezzanine Floor, has earned a nationwide reputation for the scope of its genealogical collected works, the accessibility of its open-shelving arrangement, and the helpfulness of its staff.


Genealogy Collection Focus

• Published materials
• North Carolina
• Colonial and post-colonial periods
• Areas from which North Carolinians came and to which North Carolinians migrated
• Broad collections for VA, MD, PA, SC, TN, and New England

Genealogy Collection Resources

• Family histories
• Genealogy vertical files
• Abstracts of county, state, and federal records
• Military records, abstracts, and indexes
• County histories
• Genealogical periodicals
• Bibliographies, indexes, guides
• Census microfilm and indexes
• Electronic databases (* In-house use)
  1. Ancestry Library Edition*
  2. HeritageQuest (also available remotely to North Carolina residents through NC LIVE)
  3. New England Ancestors.org*
  4. AugustaArchives.com: The Augusta [Georgia] Chronicle (founded in 1785)*

Main Reading Room, First Floor West
Additional resources for researchers

• Microfilm of North Carolina Newspapers
• Federal microfilm including Revolutionary War pension and service records, War of 1812 indexes, and rolls and records of the Eastern Cherokees
• State and federal government publications
• Electronic databases

In planning your research visit, you may want to search our online catalog.

• To look for a family history, use the Basic Search, type the surname and the word family, and choose Subject Browse. You should also use the Advanced Search and type the surname as this will often bring up additional titles for that family. Unpublished materials such as typescripts, family group sheets, lineage charts, and family newsletters, are also accessible through the online catalog and are indicated as Genealogy -- Vertical File in the Library Location line of the catalog record.
• To determine North Carolina newspaper microfilm holdings, use Basic Search by Title or Advanced Search under Newspapers by County or Newspapers by City.

State Library of North Carolina printed, microfilm, and electronic resources complement the original and microfilmed North Carolina county and state records deposited in the North Carolina State Archives, the separate agency with which we share a building. The Archives Search Room, located on the Second Floor West of the Archives & History/State Library Building, maintains a separate website.

Government and Heritage Library staff look forward to having you research in our collections. Please write, e-mail, or call if you have questions prior to your visit.

Essential information: hours, contact information, and e-mail links can be found on our State Library website.