The Dean and Mary Collins papers contain articles about Native American tribes from the southwest region, maps of the reservations, as well as tourist guides. Much of the literature found in this collection pertains to the Navajo. However, there is also information on other Southwest tribes including the Pomo, Hopi, Zuni, Papago, and on tribes from other regions such as the Yurok, Cherokee, Sioux, and others.

The materials consist of student anthologies and student journals including the "Lambda Chi Anthology of Verse" published in 1936-1968, the "Honors Journal" published between 1967-1969, and "McNair Scholars" journal beginning in 2005, the "Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice" published during 2011-2013, and the "West Wind Review" issues starting in 1987.