Fonds consists of textual records and published materials produced or acquired by Keith Ralston primarily through his historical research and other professional activities, along with a small selection of personal materials. It is arranged in the following ten series, which largely reflect how the records arrived in their original order: Department of History, Thesis, Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Cowichan Fishing Case, Public Record Office, Hudson’s Bay Company Research, Research, Associations, Personal, and Day Books.

Fonds consists of the personal papers of John Norris, including family papers, correspondence of both a personal and professional nature, notes of academic articles, lecture and class notes, as well as several photographs of Norris and his family. Fonds has been organized into seven series: Correspondence series; Family series; Political Career series; Hannah Institute series, Research Materials and Publications series; Teaching series; and Photographs series. Materials are arranged in alphabetical order unless otherwise indicated.