When transferred to the Archives, the Hilltop records were mixed in with the personal papers of founder Barbara Shalucha. These two collections were separated, but researchers may also want to view the finding aid for the Barbara Shalucha papers, Collection C76 (http://purl.dlib.indiana.edu/iudl/findingaids/archives/InU-Ar-VAA2631), as Dr. Shalucha's work very much centered around Hilltop.

The IU Hilltop Garden and Nature Center records are organized into 8 series: Administrative files, Publications, Programs and events, Awards, Scrapbooks, Multimedia materials, Photographs and slides, and Architectural drawings.

The first series, Administrative files, is further organized into three subseries: Director's files, Subject files, and Hilltop Educational Foundation and Hilltop Garden Council. The Director's files are arranged alphabetically by folder title and consist of correspondence and subject files. The Indiana University Department of Biology, the city of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, and the Bloomington Mayor's office have significant representation in the director's correspondence files. Key subjects in the subject files include the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the National Civic Garden Centers, and the Washington (D.C.) Youth Gardens (this file contains a letter from Ladybird Johnson). The Subject files subseries is arranged alphabetically and contains a wide variety of material including expansion/fundraising files, financial records, horticultural records, personnel records, policy and operational procedures files, staff meeting minutes, and a large number of reference materials collected on youth garden programs throughout the world. The final subseries, Hilltop Educational Foundation and Hilltop Garden Council, is arranged alphabetically and contains administrative materials on the capital campaign for the Educational Foundation and by-laws and meeting materials for the Garden Council.

Publications, the second series, is further organized into three subseries: Marketing materials, Publications by Barbara Shalucha, and Publications by others. The first subseries, Marketing materials, is arranged alphabetically and consists of a wide variety of materials used for publicity. Items in this series include program brochures and flyers, newsletters, and illustrations. The illustrations include 10 sketches by Philip C. Thompson of various areas of Hilltop. Publications by Barbara Shalucha, the second subseries, is arranged alphabetically and consists of a number of publications written by Shalucha about Hilltop and its programs. The final subseries, Publications by others, consists of a number of articles about Hilltop written by individuals other than Shalucha. Included in this subseries are an illustrated history of Hilltop and articles published in national publications such as Better Homes and Gardens.

The third series, Programs and events, consists of three subseries: General files, Junior Garden Workshop, and Science Workshop. The first subseries, General files, is arranged alphabetically and contains materials from a wide variety of events, including Hilltop's Bulb Sale, Christmas programming, open houses, and the Spring Festival. The second subseries, Junior Garden Workshop, is arranged alphabetically and documents the children's gardening program at Hilltop. Included in this subseries are crop records, student records, Honors Day programs and announcements and curriculum materials. Science Workshop, the third subseries, is arranged alphabetically and contains administrative materials for the Science Workshop for Elementary Teachers.

Awards, the fourth series, is arranged alphabetically and consists of awards received by Hilltop Garden and awards presented to students from Hilltop Garden. Included in this series is the Gardener of the Year Award from 1949-1984.

The fifth series, Scrapbooks, is arranged alphabetically and consists of a Hilltop Memories Scrapbook from 1956-1998 that includes photographs, clippings, and assorted materials related to Hilltop and its programs. A second scrapbook consists of a variety of newspaper clippings about Hilltop.

The sixth series, Multimedia materials, is arranged by format type. The formats consist of audio cassettes, 8mm film, and reel-to-reel audio tapes. These materials include tapes of "Leadership Training for Youth Garden Centers", various workshops, and an 8mm film of the "Hilltop Plant and Bake Sale."

Photographs and slides, the seventh series, consists of photographs and negatives of Hilltop and its programs and of slides used for instructional purposes. These materials are stored separately and can be found in the photograph collection. Consult the Archives Photographs Curator for further information.

The final series, Architectural drawings, consists of landscape designs, site plans, electrical and mechanical drawings, and architectural drawings. These materials are stored separately and can be found in the Archives architectural records collection.