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The Earl Chesler Book Collection contains 84 books published between 1928 and 2001. Subjects include African American history and culture, Black biographies, Haitian history and art, African history, and fiction.

This collection consists of letters and memorabilia sent by U.S. Army soldier Earl L. Bailey to friends and family during World War II, as well as the transcript of an oral interview with the soldier. These documents detail the soldier's basic training at Camp Maxey, TX, participation in the Army Specialized Training Program at Ohio State University, and service in the 405th Regiment, 102nd Infantry Division. This service included stops at Camp Swift, TX, Fort Dix, NJ, and participation in the suppression of the Philadelphia Transit Strike of 1944 before departing for Europe. The letters discuss the campaign in Europe, battles in France and Germany, the Siegfrieg Line, and the occupation of Germany. Earl L. Bailey also discusses religion, food, POW's, propaganda, artist Bill Mauldin, German National Socialist Ideology, and V-1 rockets.  Also included are German propaganda leaflets that were dropped on U.S. soldiers.

The collection consists of more than 1,000 items, primarily twentieth century material relating to Jacksonville, Florida. Includes letters, documents, and notes relating to the personal, political, and business activities of Eartha M. M. White. Some subject files include publications, reports, programs, photographs, and memorabilia. Of particular interest are materials pertaining to: Prominent African American leaders, e.g., James Weldon Johnson, A. Phillip Randolph, and Simuel Decatur McGill; Historic Jacksonville business, charitable, and religious organizations including Afro-American Life Insurance Company, Bethel Baptist Institutional Church, Clara White Mission, Community Chest Association, and Jacksonville Negro Welfare League; Florida social and educational organizations including Florida State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs, Florida Baptist Academy / Florida Normal and Industrial Institute. The bulk of the collection are photographs depicting friends, relatives and events from her long life. Sizes of the photographs vary, ranging from 5x7 to 12x16 inches. A significant amount of her business and personal correspondence is also included. An extensive subject index is available for use with the collection. The collection also contains 156 black and white photographs of southern African American religious and labor groups, circa 1946-1949, by photographer R. Lee Thomas of Mound Bayou, Mississippi. His imprint contains the caption: Made by R. Lee Thomas, Mound Bayou, Mississippi, The Oldest Negro Town in America. Mr. Thomas was an African American photographer active in the early twentieth century in the southern United States, whose work provides photographic documentation of southern black social life during that time period. The majority of the photographs depict groups from Birmingham, Alabama, and adjacent areas.