City guides from various sources, arranged chronologically. A wide variety of types of publications and publishers are included here. Many of the earlier guides were pictorials including select images. Some of these corresponded to postcards of the same image issued around the same time period. Others may be unique to an organization or event, such as the various pictorial guides to the 1904 Flood.

Cookbooks are arranged alphabetically by title.As with calendars, the cookbooks most desired are those which have unique Grand Rapids information. This may be favorite recipes suggested by a named individual, or valuable historical information on the organization providing the cookbook, or because unique local illustrations were used in the publication.