The Bernays mss., 1890-1955, consists of manuscripts collected by Louise (Lee) Bernays, 1888-1974, librarian of The Indianapolis News for twenty-three years.
The Appleton-Century mss., 1846-1962, consists of the office files of the publishing company, its two predecessors, D. Appleton & Co., and the Century Co., and to a small extent its successor, Appleton-Century Crofts, Inc.
The Adams mss., 1912-1981, consists of the letters, photographs, and writings by and about author Booth Tarkington, 1869-1946, of Indianapolis, Indiana, and Kennebunkport, Maine. The collection was compiled by Reily Gibson Adams, 1911-1982, whose first wife, Mary Stewart Haines, 1912-1975, was Tarkington's first cousin twice removed.