Judicial notice is governed by federal and state rules of evidence. Under these rules a judge may, on his own initiative or at the request of a party, instruct the finder of fact to accept information as conclusively true. Due to this power, its scope is limited and generally reserved to facts that can be easily referenced and conclusively proven or disproven.
These materials are available in the library.
The World Almanac and Book of Facts by 
New York Public Library Desk Reference by 
