The fonds consists of personal and professional materials created and collected by Professor Jacob Zilber. The fonds consists of screenplays, manuscripts, drafts, notes, and correspondences relating to Jacob Zilber's published and unpublished materials. The fonds also includes biographical and autobiographical material, clippings, teaching records and course materials. It also contains manuscripts by students, materials related to musician and composer Michael Zilber, Department of Creative Writing administrative records as well as various UBC committee records.
The fonds is divided into five series: Manuscripts, Screenplays, Monologues series (1950-1999); Administrative and Teaching Materials series (1964-1989); Personal Materials series (1950-1997); Photographs series (1947-1989); and Audiovisual Materials series (196?-1985).

The fonds consists of notes, manuscripts, drafts, galleys, and correspondence relating to McWhirter's published and unpublished novels, short stories, poetry, and radio plays. It also includes biographical and autobiographical information, non-fiction manuscripts, book reviews, material regarding McWhirter's editorship of "Words from Inside", translation records, teaching material, records relating to his time as Head of the Creative Writing Department and other personal and professional correspondence.