The fonds documents Swain's career at the Deputy Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, including his role in the standoff at Oka, Quebec, in 1990. One series also consists of research materials collected during the writing of Swain's 2010 books, Oka: A Political Crisis and its Legacy.

Fonds consists of working files, office files, galley proofs, and other materials related to the operations of the Porcupine's Quill Press.

The fonds documents John Mappin’s occupation as an independent antiquarian book seller, his personal interest in the history of print and Canadian politics, and his personal achievements as an author. The wide variety of subject files found in this collection are almost entirely North American based and span from 1733-2004. These records reflect Mappin’s particular focus on Canadian authors and Canadiana in general.

The fonds consists of 7 boxes of primarily typewritten documents created between 1976 and 2004 which reflect Julian Samuel’s creative work and related endeavours. They contain drafts of screenplays and novels, correspondence, book reviews, CVs, and ideas or doodles. They also contain newspaper clippings and collected research dealing with Samuel’s areas of interest, including unrest in the Middle East, immigration, and discrimination on the basis of race or language. These records were created and consulted in Montreal, Quebec. Although the work is often Samuel’s alone, correspondence and edited drafts appear regularly.

Fonds consists of personal and professional papers of Canadian poet and novelist Penn Kemp. It contains personal and biographical files, including CVs and miscellaneous photos and drawings, as well as some family records. Within the professional materials are documentation of activities related to Kemp's career, such as grant materials, school press kits, workshop materials, professional correspondence, and records related to tours, as well as a comprehensive file of Kemp's creative output.

The fonds consists of manuscripts and drafts of literary compositions and other working documents, as well as professional and personal correspondence.

Fonds consists of many examples of Szyk's illustrations in the form of prints, commercially-reproduced illustrations, and drawing studies, as well as printed ephemera. Examples of Szyk's illustrations reproduced on commercial products or other items include postage stamps, posters, book jackets, and calendars. The fonds contains ephemera related to or containing Szyk illustrations, including newspaper clippings and issues of magazines featuring articles on Szyk or reproducing one of his designs. Box 10 contains original drawing studies, mostly for the Book of Esther. The fonds also contains materials related to an exhibition on Szyk at McGill University Library held in 1954.

The collection consists of books, periodicals, and published ephemera related to alternative media between roughly the 1960s and 1998. The collections has a special focus on Quebec alternative, grassroots, and political publications as well as journalism trade publications and ephemera, and union and labour movement publications. Some publications are from Cuba and China, including Cuban calendars and some documents, books, and newspapers on China.

Fonds documents Grant Woolmer's career as an antiquarian book dealer. The records include:

• Card File. 1954 – 1998, 628.5 cm of 3" x 5" (7.5 cm x 12.5 cm) index cards describing every book owned and sold by Grant Woolmer giving description and price. Over 30,000 cards.

• Catalogues. 1954 – 1998, 180 cm. Complete run of catalogues of Antique Book Shop, later Grant Woolmer Books. Over 400 different catalogues.

• Financial Records. 1954 – 1998, 250 cm. 6 ledgers giving daily income and disbursements; invoices, etc.

• Mailing list, undated, 5 cm. Some 200 names of institutions, dealers and private collectors mimeographed on 7 sheets.

• Newspaper clippings and ephemera. 1980 –1998, 5 cm. File consisting of clippings and articles relating to the antiquarian book trade, as well obituaries of antiquarian book dealers and collectors. About 200 items.

• Bates List Finder. 1980s – 1990s, 3 cm. Alphabetical telephone directory and addresses for frequently called numbers.

The Tundra Books fonds contains a collection of archival records documenting Tundra's publishing history. It includes correspondence with Tundra authors and artists, most notably with William Kurelek. Parts of the archival material document the development and production of each title and May Cutler's dealings with government and funding agencies. The archival materials document a significant chapter in Canadian post-war publishing history.