The collection is arranged in six series:

Series I. Correspondence, 1927-1972. This series contains letters to Kohler, the overwhelming majority being from various authors. Much of the correspondence is routine in nature, relating to literary essay-reviews. Among the letters, however, are a number from noted authors, including Sherwood Anderson, Willa Cather, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Earl Hamner Jr., MacKinlay Kantor, Archibald MacLeish, Joyce Carol Oates, Katherine Anne Porter, Reynolds Price, Conrad Richter, Carl Sandburg (and his daughter, Helga Sandburg Golby), James Still, and Eudora Welty. (Still and Stuart seem to have been among Kohler's more frequent correspondents, each represented by substantial letters.) While many of the letters in this series are brief and businesslike, a few are more personal in nature. The letter from Porter, for example, offers a lengthy assessment of critical reviews of her Ship of Fools. Likewise, a pair of letters by Mildred Bennett, an authority on Willa Cather, provide personal insights on Cather and her family. Among the other correspondents in the series are artists Archer Lawrie and Dale Nichols. The series is arranged by correspondent name. Series II. Essays, [1931]-1952. This brief series contains a selection Kohler's manuscript drafts of articles on various literary subjects. Many of the drafts include notes on where and when the piece was eventually published. Included in the series is a draft of Kohler's introduction to the 1965 Harper & Row edition of Lord Jim. The series is arranged chronologically.

Series III, Essay-Review Drafts, 1967-1971. Included in this series are drafts (mostly typescripts) of essay-reviews submitted by various reviewers for literary publications edited by Kohler, mostly for the series Masterplots. The drafts include manuscript revisions. The series is arranged by title and date of publication, then alphabetically by title of work reviewed. (The essays for the 1968-1970 editions of Masterplots had been split by Kohler into two separate sets per year, each arranged alphabetically within the set. The order in which Kohler separated and arranged the sets has been maintained.)

Series IV. Galley Proofs, 1966-[1969]. This series contains galley proofs received from the publisher for two editions of Masterplots. The proofs include manuscript revisions. The series is arranged by publication title.

Series V. Authors, 1889-1967. Found in this series is a collection of materials relating to various authors. The series includes such items as ephemera, printed material, autographs, and photographs. Many authors are represented by nothing more than notices that accompanied books sent to Kohler as review copies. Among the more significant items in the series, however, are such materials as an advance preview of Donald Barthelme's Come Back, Doctor Caligari, radio-play scripts for "Moses" by Walter D. Edmonds and "Rifles for Washington" by Elsie Singmaster, printed and other publicity materials relating to Robert Frost, an envelope purportedly addressed by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a letter written by Oliver Wendell Holmes, photographs of Kohler with James Still at Morehead University Library, autographs of Archibald MacLeish and Thomas Nast, and printed material and autographed notes from Carl Sandburg. The largest set of materials in the series relates to Jesse Stuart and includes several pieces of printed material, many including personal notes from Stuart to Kohler. Also included is a photograph of Stuart by photographer Earl Palmer. The series is arranged alphabetically by name.

Series VI. Books and Publishing, 1955-1971. The materials in this small series relate to Kohler's general interest in literature and consist largely of printed materials. Included is a copy of Kohler's own booklet, Books and Reading and several issues of The Hollins Critic, published by Hollins University. The series also contains working lists of books reviewed in some editions of Masterplots. The series is arranged by item type.