The fonds consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence between Beardsley and various friends, fellow writers, and acquaintances (1967-2017). Also includes manuscripts and transcripts of poems, short stories, essays, as well as handwritten brainstorming notes written on hotel paper pads and airplane bags. Includes book reviews for the Times Colonist, correspondence and work regarding the Al Purdy-Doug Beardsley Papers collaborative work. Also includes handwritten journals kept by Beardsley from approximately 1969-2017.

The fonds consists of textual records and objects documenting Dr. Dana Beyer's LGBTQ activism, political campaigns, and medical research. Series consists of material from original accession, and is arranged into four subseries: activism records, political campaign records, DES research material, and ephemera.

The fonds consists firstly, of correspondence from many well known writers such as Margaret Atwood, Doug Beardsley, bill bissett, George Bowering, Marilyn Bowering, Robert Bringhurst, Barry Callaghan, Lorna Crozier, William Deverell, Timothy Findley, John Glassco, Robert Harlow, David Homel, Patrick Lane, Dennis Lee, Charles Lillard, Dorothy Livesay, Susan Musgrave, John Newlove, Sharon Olds, Michael Ondaatje, P.K. Page, George Payerle, Al Purdy, Joe Rosenblatt, Jane Rule, Jane Urqhuhart, and Sean Virgo. It is arranged in alphabetic series. Secondly, there are prose and poetry manuscripts. These are roughly divided into poetry and prose, with some large sections of late drafts intact. Thirdly, there are materials relating to the Writer's Union of Canada, Writers in Electronic Residence, political press clippings, material about his libel trial, and miscellaneous printed material.