The Foreign Data Library consists of meteorological data from nations other than the United States. The data are on original observational forms, in publications, atlases, ships' logs, periodicals, charts, etc. Split almost evenly between paper and microfilm, , this data is collectively referred to as the Foreign Data Library. Types of data includes summaries, observations, overviews, and summaries of global climate. The vast majority of the records fall between the late 19th century and late 20th century. Details about many items in this collection are tracked by the NOAA Central Library in its catalog. Users are encouraged to check library resources for more information about the collection.

A subset of this collection has been digitized by the archive. The Archive contains digital photographs of foreign paper meteorological records from the 2000+ cubic foot collection of physical records. The images contain in-situ observations from all areas of the globe other than the United States. The primary focus at time of collection was temperature and precipitation information; many records also included pressure, cloud properties, dewpoint, wind, and sunshine. African observations were the initial geographic area of concentration in the imaging effort but have grown to include other continents and regions. The collection consists of weather observations that were taken almost exclusively between 1885 and 1980. The records are in various native languages.