July 4, 2026 will be a stellar day in United States history: the day our country turns 250 years old. Across America, states are preparing to celebrate their own unique contributions to the nation’s success.
What are North Carolina’s plans? Where can you learn more about North Carolina history?
- America’s Semiquincentennial Committee – Official webpage of the 250th anniversary legislative committee
- America 250 NC – Website maintained by the NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.
- Session Laws – Laws passed by the North Carolina General Assembly, dating back to 1777.
- North Carolina Digital Collections – Here is where you can find images of all sorts of documents and photographs from our state’s history.
- NCPedia – The largest and most comprehensive North Carolina encyclopedia available online. And it’s free!
February is, of course, Black History Month. North Carolina has many resources for studying and celebrating Black history. For instance, check out the home page of NCPedia, a project of the State Library of North Carolina.
The General Assembly has some interesting resources as well.
- North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus – Since its founding in 1983, this group has worked to advocate for the interests and concerns of minority communities across North Carolina.
- African-Americans in the General Assembly – A list of Black state legislators from 1969 to present.
- Dan Blue interview – A discussion with Senator Dan Blue, who in 1991 became North Carolina’s first Black Speaker of the House. This interview was part of a UNC Law oral history project.
- Mickey Michaux interview – A discussion with Henry “Mickey” Michaux, who left the General Assembly in 2020 as its longest-serving member.
With yesterday’s passage of rules for both the Senate and House of Representatives, the 2025-2026 session of the North Carolina General Assembly is underway!
Check out the following resources to help you stay on top of what’s happening.
- How an Idea Becomes a Law
- Glossary of Legislative Terms
- Frequently Asked Questions about the General Assembly
- How to stream and get recordings of House and Senate activities
- What to know before you visit the Legislative Building (or try a virtual tour)
Curious about what happened in previous sessions? Check out our charts of legislative statistics, budget bills, veto history, constitutional amendments, and more.
December 23-27 CLOSED
December 30-31 8:00am-5:30pm
January 1 CLOSED
January 2-3 8:00am-5:30pm
We will return to regular hours on Monday, January 6.
Need to talk to a lawyer but can’t afford one? Then check out Wake County’s Lawyers in Your Library program!
At each session of Lawyers in Your Library, attorneys will be available to provide free 30-minute consultations to clients on any issues related to family law — from child custody and support to alimony and adoption.
The attorneys will help advise, counsel, provide form documents and drafting suggestions, and more for many families who may not otherwise have access to legal advice as they navigate the complicated system.
Sessions will take place from 9 a.m.–noon. Appointments are available (but not required) at wake.gov/LIL, with additional slots open for walk-ins.
- Saturday, Sept. 14: Oberlin Regional Library in Raleigh
- Saturday, Dec. 14: North Regional Library in Raleigh
In a couple of months, citizens all over North Carolina will enter yet another voting season. You may be asking yourself: what’s changed about the voting requirements? Will I need an ID? What type of ID? How will absentee ballots work?
Though the General Assembly passes the voting laws, administering those laws falls to the North Carolina State Board of Elections. All questions about how to vote should be directed there.
Fortunately, the NCSBE has put together an excellent page of voting resources here. Of particular interest are the following:
- Voter ID requirements (includes a helpful video)
- Voting by mail
- Provisional voting
Curious about how the voting districts will look for the 2024 election? Maps are available here.
For more information, feel free to contact the library at 919-733-9390 or library@ncleg.gov.
Did you know our state has adopted three constitutions in its history? That’s roughly one every hundred years!
You can learn other cool constitutional facts from this guide on the library website. It links to a digital version of each constitution, along with info about the amendment process and other resources.
Questions? Contact us here.
Who are my state legislators?
Where do I look up bills?
How do I find a statute relevant to my situation?
These are a few of the questions that can be answered by our new online tutorials. These short videos walk you step-by-step through some of the vast content on our General Assembly website.
Questions? Feel free to contact us at library@ncleg.gov.
It’s time for another legislative Throwback Thursday! Check out this 1991 General Assembly documentary, The Voice of the People, by former Raleigh journalist Grady Jefferys.
We’ve added new photos, documents, and other curiosities to our web page commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Legislative Building.
Check out the web page here!