The collection is comprised of four series. The first series is Manuscripts and Poetry.
This series makes up a majority of the collection, with hundreds of drafts and typescripts
of Herald's poetry and prose. The works of prose were divided further based on the subject
of the writing. Much of his work focuses on cosmology and science, as Herald had dedicated
the last 20 years of his life researching. His manuscripts also include some
auto-biographical stories, as well.
The second series, Personal Effects, include a number of identification cards from New
York, newspaper clippings of reviews, and photographs of Herald. This series also has his
immigration and naturalization documents and military discharge papers and correspondence.
The third series is Correspondence. This series consists of letters to Herald which dated
back to the 1920s and continued until his death in 1976. Included in the correspondence are
letters from Marianne Moore, Zona Gale, Meridel LeSueur, universities, publishers, and some
celebrities. Some of Herald's letters to correspondents are also found in this series.
The fourth series are Notebooks. The notebooks include handwritten drafts of his poems and
prose. Some are interspersed with journal-like entries. Many are undated or have uncertain
dates, although the earliest dated back to 1916. Included in this series is a box of
memo-books that totaled to 44. The memo-books similarly contain drafts and scraps of his
writings.
