The district of North Ayrshire comprises of Skelmorlie, Largs, Fairlie, West Kilbride, Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Stevenston, Irvine, Dreghorn, Kilwinning, Dalry, Kilbirnie, Beith, and the Isles of Arran and Cumbrae.

Located in Ardrossan, the Local History Library is a library of historic and current material about Ayrshire past and present, which will be of interest to both the serious researcher and the casual browser. For researchers who wish to carry out their own work, it offers a quiet, air-conditioned search room with in-house research facilities and photocopying facilities.

The library is for use by any member of the public and includes books, newspapers, photographs, genealogy sources and an archive collection.

The library has an extensive collection of books, old and new, pertaining to Scottish history and the history of Ayrshire.

Genealogical resources include Census Returns 1841-1901, Poor Relief, Newspapers, Monumental Inscriptions, Burial Records, Old Parish Registers and Genealogy Links.

The Local and Scottish Collection includes Books, Directories, Maps, Postcards and Photographs and Special Collections.

There is also a unique and extensive Archives collection which includes old Burgh records, including Council Minutes, Valuation Books, Burial Registers, Dean of Guild Court Records, Assessment Rolls and documents pertaining to the Royal Burgh of Irvine. The archive collection is available for consultation only.