A major component of the North collection are resources pertaining to the Indigenous Peoples across Canada: First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. Some resources pertaining to the Indigenous Peoples of the USA are also included. The topic range is extensive and includes education, residential schools, government relations, colonization, housing, language, cultural activities and customs, legends, ceremony, biographies, treaties, art and music, health, traditional knowledge (TK), and much more.

Publications in this collection relate to the northern section of the Canadian provinces which is known as Canada's provincial norths.  It also relates to the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, and a limited number of titles relate to other northern regions globally. The subject areas represented in this collection are widespread and are similar in nature to those listed for the Regional Collection.  In addition to the subject coverage listed under Regional, the North collection also contains resources pertaining to such topics as climate change, arctic sovereignty, arctic economic development, fur trade and the Hudson Bay Company, arctic exploration, and the history and geography of arctic regions.