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.

"GDR Bulletin: Newsletter for Literature and Culture in the German Democratic Republic" collections consists of administrative files and issues of the newsletter published by the Department of Germanic Languages and Literature at Washington University in St. Louis between 1975 and 1999.

The Charles Guenther Papers includes correspondence, 1964-1970, principally between Guenther and Washington University library officials concerning the placing of Guenther's literary materials. Also included are original poems and poetry translation from the French and German and reprints or copies of selected published articles on E.E. Cummings, Pierre Francois Regnier, an address on poetry given at St. Louis University, and miscellany.

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 Lifelong Learning Institute Records consists of course listings, publications including the Lifelong Learning Institute Newsletter, 20^th Anniversary materials, and interviews with Richard Diemer (Executive Director of LLI, retired in 2005) and Henrietta Freedman (co-founder of LLI).

This collection includes publications created and distributed by Olin Library.