The collection concentrates on American and British history with a special emphasis on the following areas:
- Colonial history
- The American Revolution
- Constitutional and social history, immigration and ethnic minorities, foreign policy in the 20th century
- The history of ideas and intellectual history in seventeenth- and eighteenth century Britain, British social history, British imperialism
- 67.000 books
- 85 journals and newspapers
- Collection on microfilm, including for example General records of the Department of State, COINTELPRO, Despatches from U.S. ministers, Slaves narratives etc. A list can be viewed here.