The Julia Carson Papers document Carson's activities as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Most of the papers cover the years 1997-2007, but some materials are from earlier years and deal with Carson's involvement in local and state politics.

The collection consists of ten series:

Biographical Materials, 1978-2007 Contain copies of "My Neighbor as Myself," an autobiographical piece written by Carson, biographies of Carson written by schoolchildren, award certificates, and newspaper clippings about Carson from the years before she was elected to Congress.

Committees, 1997-2007 Contain records relating to the three House committees and various subcommittees Carson served on. Records include correspondence related to committee meetings and the legislation being considered by the committees, copies of Carson's statements at the meetings, and her questions to witnesses appearing before the committees.

Appropriations, 1997-2007 Contain records relating to appropriations of money to government departments, agencies, and programs. Records include correspondence to Carson from various Indiana communities and agencies discussing their requests for federal funds and Carson's correspondence to committee chairs and ranking minority members requesting funds for specific agencies and projects. Some of the requests would be made jointly with other members of Indiana's Congressional delegation.

Legislation, 1996-2007 Contain records relating to legislation sponsored by Carson and legislation being considered by the House of Representatives. The legislation sponsored by Carson includes a bill to award civil rights leader Rosa Parks a Congressional Gold Medal, a resolution to exonerate Captain McVey for the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis, legislation authorizing the Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial in Indianapolis, bills to promote and support responsible fatherhood and to protect children from the hazards of firearms, and resolutions to honor Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali, and Serena Williams.

Other records relating to legislation include legislation that Carson co-sponsored, sign-on letters (petitions signed by members of Congress and sent to Congressional leaders or members of the executive branch), Dear Colleague letters (letters sent to or received from other members of Congress requesting co-sponsorship or support of legislation, help in defeating legislation, or thanks for actions taken), records of Carson's voting record on legislation, ratings of Carson by various organization, and correspondence and lobbying materials relating to legislation.

Subject Files, 1980-2007 Contain records relating to a variety of issues. Some of the files pertain to subjects being dealt with by Congress or various federal departments and agencies, while other files are about concerns specific to Carson's district or Indiana. The files contain correspondence, newspaper clippings, publications, and background information.

Caucuses, 1996-2007 Contain records dealing with the various Congressional caucuses to which Carson belonged. Most of the files relate to the Congressional Black Caucus. One of the caucus's activities is an annual legislative conference. Members of the caucus host sessions on various topics. Carson hosted sessions dealing with juvenile justice, promoting responsible fatherhood, domestic violence, livable cities, and meeting the mental health needs of black women.

Meetings and Events, 1997-2007 Contain correspondence, newspaper clippings, scheduling information, and other records concerning meetings and events attended by Carson and/or members of her staff. The meetings and events involve a wide range of people and groups, including lobbyists, constituents, civic organizations, special interest groups, representatives from industry, and other politicians. The records show the demands on Carson's times and document her interaction with several different segments of the public.

Public Communications, 1996-2007 Contain records documenting the ways that Carson communicated with her constituents, the media, and others. Records include texts of her speeches, correspondence, press releases, newsletters, and flyers.

Office Administration, 1996-2003 Contain records relating to the operation and the staff of Carson's Washington, D.C. office. Records include memoranda and information about Carson's schedule.

Audiovisual Materials, 1996-2003 Contain audiocassette tapes, videotapes, DVDs, and photographs. Most of the audiocassette tapes are from Carson's appearances on the Greg Garrison Show on radio station WIBC and The Bottom Line with Willie Frank Middleton on radio station WTLC. The videotapes include Carson campaign commercials, Carson participating in a debate from the 1998 election and other events, and videotapes related to legislation sponsored by Carson. The DVDs are of a 2004 election debate and a homeless persons' memorial service held in Indianapolis in 2007. The photographs are from various events Carson took part in. Many of the events and the people in the photographs with Carson are not identified.