Resources for Researchers

Buncombe County Public Libraries provides card-holders a number of digital resources available through NCLive. Some resources are especially useful to those researching the history and culture of WNC, including:

ArchiveGrid includes over 7 million records describing archival materials, bringing together information about historical documents, personal papers, family histories, and more.

Digital Sanborn Maps

Founded in 1867, the Sanborn Map Company was the primary American publisher of fire insurance maps for nearly 100 years. The maps provide a wealth of information, such as building outline, size and shape.

Explore original materials from 309 libraries, museums, and archives across North Carolina.

Historic North Carolina Newspapers

Partial access made available through NCLive

Buncombe County Special Collections offers access to the following digital resources on-site only:

Using your Buncombe County library card, you can also access Ancestry Library Edition from our reading room, at any branch library, or even from home. Visit Buncombe County Public Libraries' Virtual Library page, click the Ancestry icon, then log in with your library card.

Research Guides and Indexes to help you on your search

Hitting a roadblock in your research? There’s always more to discover! Our archive is one of many who collect material related to Asheville and Buncombe County. Other local, regional, and national institutions have extensive collections that will prove useful to researchers of Western North Carolina.