Covering the time period of 1971 to 2007, the collection is comprised of records created or received by various staff of New Star Books in their business activities. These activities consisted of: soliciting authors for material or responding to author requests for representation, corresponding with authors throughout the editorial process, designing or contracting layouts for books and communicating instructions to vendors, arranging for printing of materials, promoting book tours and maintaining vendor accounts with various independent bookstores and organizations throughout the world. They also monitored book reviews in publications of the popular press and professional organizations, arranged for marketing of products, coordinated payments or receipt of payments, and periodically issued royalty checks. New Star was often reliant on external funding for the publication of some works, especially in instances where translation services were required to reach certain markets, so applications for grants or donations comprise a portion of each series.
The collection reflects some of the major cultural and political issues affecting Canada, and particularly British Columbia and Vancouver, in the late-1970’s and early-1980’s. These topics ranged from criticisms of British Columbia’s Social Credit administration, to works on the Nicaraguan and Cuban revolutions, feminism, gay rights, communism, and the immigrant experiences of Chinese Canadians and Eastern Europeans The collection also offers insight into some of the shifting trend of public interest away from such leftist publications and the choices New Star editors then had to make in choosing marketable content over progressive or provocative literature.
Record types include correspondence, invoices, purchase orders, balance sheets, newspaper clippings, book reviews, financial statements, grant applications, legal transactions or communications, sales figures, book tour schedules, typesetting instructions, style sheets, draft layouts, photographs, and one draft manuscript.
The collection is arranged into the following ten series: Accounts correspondence and invoices (1973–1994); Author correspondence (1977-1997); Book reviews and related records (1976–1999); Business operational files and related records (1971–1999); Editorial correspondence and related records (1973-2001); Sales figures records (1974-1990); Payroll and taxes records (1972-1990); Royalties records and related correspondence (1979-2005); Draft manuscript files [before 1974?]; Invoices, sales registers and related records (1972-2007).

Series consists of correspondence between the publisher and various authors regarding current and future projects, editorial discussions and decisions, revisions, biographical information, book tour information, financial estimates and payments, and press coverage. Records include: correspondence, invoices, orders, receipts, notes, contracts, trade publications, photographs and newspaper clippings.

For related materials, see also: Series 5: Editorial correspondence and related records and Series 8: Royalties and related correspondence

Series consists of correspondence related to the marketing, reviews and sales of New Star publications. The majority of the series are news clippings of various book reviews. Records include: correspondence, photocopies of articles, newspaper clippings and cartoons, and trade publications.

Series consists of correspondence between the publisher, sub-contractors, vendors, promoters and authors. Most files contain instructions and drafts as to editorial layout, typesetting, artwork, etc. Records include: correspondence, style sheets, contracts, invoices, grant applications, editorial copy, galley proofs, newspaper clippings, magazines, cartoons, photographs and a poster.

For related materials, see also Series 2: Author correspondence and Series 8: Royalties and related correspondence.

Series consists of one file labeled “Manuscript – A Very Ordinary Life”. The papers inside are annotated and heavily edited at times.

The fonds consists of records primarily reflecting Robinson’s career as a writer, spanning approximately from 1991 to 2018. These include drafts of several of her novels including "Monkey Beach", "Traplines", "Blood Sports", "Son of a Trickster" and "Trickster Drift", correspondence with editors and other miscellaneous records. The fonds is arranged into seven series: Correspondence (1993-2005); Awards, events and reviews (1991-2007); Records relating to "Traplines" ([1997]); Records relating to "Blood Sports" (2004-2005); Records relating to "Monkey Beach" ([ca. 2000?]); Records relating to "Son of a Trickster" (2016-2017); and Records relating to "Trickster Drift" (2014-2018).

Fonds consists of correspondence, magazines, manuscripts, financial records, event posters, notebooks, and artwork relating to Jeff Derksen's work as a poet and founder of the Kootenay School of Writing, in particular, the publication of Writing Magazine, issues 23-28, edited by Jeff Derksen and Nancy Shaw.

The fonds consists of records created or accumulated by Flood through her activities as a writer. Records include notes, drafts, correspondence with publishers, contracts, promotional materials, reviews, royalty statements, notebooks, handwritten manuscripts and copies of published journals in which Flood’s works are printed.

The fonds has been arranged into the following three series: Short stories (1961-2008); Novels (1974-2004); and Essays, talks and reviews (1972-2006).

The fonds consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence to Barry McKinnon, book files (including manuscripts), business records, and publications of the Caledonia Writing Series press.

The fonds consists of correspondence written by Waddington to Allan Donaldson. It also includes 1 letter from Allan Donaldson and 1 file of correspondence with John Smallbridge regarding Waddington's participation in a poetry and drama colloquium at Althouse College of Education. The Smallbridge correspondence includes 2 black and white photographs of Waddington.

The fonds consists of samples of handmade papers, paste papers, and drafts of Lissel's paste paper sample book, TOPOS, published in 2006. The fonds is arranged into the following two series: handmade papers and paste papers.

The series documents Lissel as a handmade paper artist, which includes various handmade papers that he has experimented on. He did experiments on different materials, such as cotton, flax, and linen—most of which are defined on the individual paper. Paper samples include kozo and gampi and other samples. The series is arranged in chronological order.

The series documents Lissel as a handmade papermaker and includes drafts of TOPOS and paste paper samples for TOPOS. The series is arranged in chronological order.

Fonds consists of printed materials from Cobblestone Press and Giampa's work records, including digital font files, catalogues, sales reports, newspaper clippings and correspondence.

The fonds consists of correspondence, poems (including concrete, experimental and sound poem drafts), manuscripts (including drafts), notebooks, and journals of bp Nichol. Fonds includes records (1964-1987) of Nichol's presses, Ganglia and grOnk, consisting of manuscript files, correspondence files, mockups, business and reference files, computer discs, the authors poetry and comic book collections, photographs, television scripts, etc. Correspondents and contributors include Bill Bissett, Gerry Gilbert, Margaret Avison, Earle Birney, David Harris, David Phillips, David McFadden and others.

Series consists mainly of textual material pertaining to the business transactions, staffing, and programming of CKVU-TV Vancouver. Due to the takeover of the station by Global TV and the subsequent litigations, this series also contains various legal records including transcripts of court proceedings, settlement contracts, affidavits and subpoenas. This series also includes business correspondence and personal information regarding Duke's role within the organization.