Part of a network operated by Inverclyde Libraries, the Watt Library in Greenock is the main local history and genealogy library for Inverclyde and repository for Inverclyde Archives. The Archives collection contains a wide range of material relating to Inverclyde and includes material relating to James Watt, manuscripts and a variety of printed material.

Holdings include Census returns; Old parish registers; Valuation rolls; and Official records from Inverclyde Council and the former burghs of Greenock, Gourock, Port Glasgow and Kilmacolm.

Burgh and Local Authority Records held here include the following: Burgh of Greenock - Accounts 1793-1798, 1804-1825, Common Good accounts 1906, Dean of Guild Court records 1930-1941, Improvement Trust minutes 1877-1895, Law & Finance minutes 1890-1895, Magistrates’ Chairman’s book 1899-1902, Magistrates’ minutes 1876-1923, Magistrates’ sederunt 1885-1886, Town Council minutes 1882-1975, Gas, Electricity, etc minutes 1902-1904, Police, Water & Tramway minutes 1898-1899, Sanitary, Cleansing & Health minutes 1905, Magistrates’ order book 1923-1940, Water Trust minutes 1884-1895, Parochial Board minutes 1859-1882, Police Board minutes 1879-1901, School Board minutes 1873-1919; Burgh of Gourock - Board of Supervision minutes 1869-1879, Dean of Guild records 1885-1957, Fire Brigade minutes 1897-1899, Gamble Institute minutes 1885-1917, Gas Authority minutes 1886-1899, Burial Ground minutes 1951-1960, Town Council minutes 1858-1962, Register of boatlurers 1906-1936, Register of drivers of hackney carriages 1905-1926, Road Authority minutes 1879-1889, Sanitary Committee minutes 1897-1900, Works Committee minutes 1886-1899; Burgh of Port Glasgow - Baths, Washhouses minutes. etc 1894-1911, Cemetery Board minutes 1898-1911, Cleansing & Lighting minutes 1901-1911, Finance, Police & Magistrates minutes 1878-1911, Gas Committee minutes 1867-1911, Town Council minutes 1774-1975, Public Health minutes 1898-1911, Streets & Roads minutes 1886-1911, Town Hall Committee minutes 1903-1911, Water Committee minutes 1890-1911, Dean of Guild records 1877-1945, Register of plans & sections 1892-1963, Licensing Court minutes 1891-1917, Register of publican’s certificates 1865-1960, Harbour Trust minutes 1833-1943; County of Renfrew Fifth District - Council minutes 1930-1971, Kilmacolm Junior Literary Society minutes 1892-1899, Kilmacolm Parish Council rent roll 1906-1907 1962-1963, Kilmacolm Parish Library minutes 1832-1878, Kilmacolm Village Lamp minutes 1876-1896, Kilmacolm Public Green minutes 1872-1899; Inverclyde District Council - Council minutes 1975-1995, Inverclyde Council, Council minutes 1995 to date.

Family, Business and Other Papers include: Customs receipts 1812, Chemist's prescription book 1897-1898, Crawfurd’s of Cartsburn 20th century, Fairlie – Lamont c 1920s, John Galt 19th & 20th centuries, George Blake manuscript of Westering Sun 1946, Greenock Botanical Library 1861, Greenock Female Benevolent Society 1811-1854, Greenock Foreign Library 1807-1828, Greenock Harbour Trust 1886-1926, Greenock (Watt) Library 1782-1973, Greenock Natural History Society 1878-1939, Greenock Philosophical Society 1863-1958, Master Joiners Society 1826-1869, Master Wrights Society 1767-1882, National Union of Railwaymen Greenock Branch minutes 1933-1988, Rankin & Blackmore employment registers 1920-1950, Robert Wallace – Postal Reform 1832-1838, Caledonian Foundry 1915-1974, Greenock Chamber of Commerce 1815-1958, and James Watt papers 18th & 19th centuries.

The Library has pre-Ordnance Survey maps from 1857-1860, 1898-99 and 1930, as well as Ordnance Survey map series 1, 2 and 3. Old maps such as these can often be useful to the family historian, such as for establishing the location of addresses obtained from census returns.

The Library has large collections of local photographs dating back to the 19th century. These collections cover a wide range of subjects - street scenes, schools, harbours, factories, churches, shipping, farms, public buildings, monuments, municipal improvement works, etc. See also the McLean Museum and Art Gallery photograph collection.

The Watt Library has an extensive collection of books on all aspects of Inverclyde local and family history. These include books on the history of local shipbuilders, shipping lines, rope works, churches, clubs and societies, Greenock Morton Football Club, biographies, trade directories, cinemas, music halls, maritime and transport history. Many books were written pre-1900 and some are almost contemporary to the people and events they describe.

The Grimshaw Collection comprises photographs, magazines, diaries, timetables and maritime books on the history of Clyde passenger steamships, which ferried people from Clydeside to seaside, resorts such as Rothesay, Millport, Largs, Saltcoats and on excursions such as to the Kyles of Bute. Access to this collection is by arangement with Library staff who have to be present with anyone wishing to use the room.

The Watt Library also has back issues of several local newspapers on microfilm, including Greenock Telegraph 1866-date, Greenock Advertiser 1802-1864, Gourock Times 1915-1980, Port Glasgow Express 1894-1967, Kilmacolm Advertiser 1974-date (hard copy only), Greenock Herald 1852-1937, and Greenock & District Election Squib 1905-1907. Included in the collection are titles recently added as part of the NEWSPLAN 2000 project.

There is also an index for birth, death and marriage announcements in local newspapers covering the period 1802-1914.