The William H. Gass Papers consist largely of his own manuscript material: manuscripts and proof material toward his books, drafts of various stories, essays, and reviews, interviews, and a miscellaneous assortment of notes and other materials. Also present is a substantial amount of professional correspondence, primarily with universities, magazines, and publishers, as well as with his colleagues in academia and in the literary community.

The Hurst Papers consist of a small quantity of correspondence (most of it between Hurst and her school friend Lois Toensfeldt), the manuscript for her novel Quiet Street, some diary material, and a group of clippings and memorabilia. Special Collections also holds Hurst's personal collection of her published work which includes a complete set of first and variant editions, translations, and other copies of her books.

The Alexander Trocchi Papers include manuscripts of his novels, stories, essays and poems, the extant archives of Merlin, most of his manuscripts and correspondence concerning the Sigma Project, material relating to a large number of projects Trocchi was involved with in the 1960’s, and his journals and notebooks. The Trocchi Papers also house an extensive collection of magazines and ephemera, including material relating to the International Situationist movement.