NC LIVE offers the citizens of North Carolina online access to a diverse collection of electronic resources including complete articles from over 16,000 newspapers, journals, magazines, and encyclopedias, indexing for over 25,000 periodical titles, and access to over 25,000 online print and audio books. NC LIVE is available free of charge to library patrons, students, and educators from four communities of interest (COIs) -- public libraries, community colleges, the state's university system, and members of the North Carolina Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. NC LIVE can be accessed from within an affiliated library or from home..

NC LIVE's governing and advisory committees, which have equal representation from all communities of interest, determine general governance, the selection and purchase of NC LIVE resources, web site organization and design, publicity efforts, training topics and initiatives, and technical infrastructure.

NC LIVE is generously supported by the General Assembly and the citizens of North Carolina as well as the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities. Generous support for some of the independent college and university libraries has also been received from The Duke Endowment and The Cannon Foundation.

The role of state funding is to "level the playing field" so that rural isolation, community or institutional financial constraints, and limited local library resources are not barriers to accessing information.

NC LIVE has a full-time staff that is responsible for the ongoing operation, enhancement, and support for NC LIVE. The staff ensures that NC LIVE servers remain up and running, facilitates vendor and database connectivity, and provideslsupport for librarians and library staff at the approximately 200 affiliated libraries across North Carolina.