This collection was originally a devised collection, combining several small accessions of materials transferred from the local history book collection along with unprocessed materials in the archival backlog. That initial collection contained mostly the yearbooks and written histories of the club, along with those yearbooks of other area women's literary clubs. Most of these materials had been given by the Ladies Literary Club to the library over many years.

With the official closing of the Ladies Literary Club in 2005, however, a place was sought for the historical records of the club which still remained in the club building. Given the significance of the Ladies Literary Club to the founding of the Grand Rapids Public Library, it was a logical choice for the materials to be given for the Library Archives. In Summer 2006, these began to be delivered to the Grand Rapids Public Library, and the revised and expanded collection now includes minutes, financial records and membership files, scrapbooks, documentation on the building and its renovation and a few photos, along with other ancillary materials.

One of the challenges of accessing information within this historical records is to figure out how it is being recorded from one time period to another. For example, membership records are most often found with the financial records, but may also be found as lists within the same books that included the minutes and annual reports.

Also, only in later years are there files designated as program planning. For earlier time periods this information may be scattered throughout the collection on the programs held, recorded in the general or board minutes or in the clippings in the scrapbooks or perhaps indirectly reported through the ledger entries. Finding information on a specific speaker takes a great deal of reading and digging. Ideally, some interested volunteer my someday prepare a name index to the various scrapbooks and documents.

Unfortunately, the collection is very limited when it comes to images, though they may have been taken, and may be found in the scrapbooks, or even in other photo collections within the Archives, such as the Robinson Studio Collection.