This intentionally assembled collection contains publications, printed matter, and ephemera documenting Stanford University. This guide is a high level listing of the major subject headings that are used to organization the collection. These include: history of the founders and the university; administration; faculty; academic schools; graduate schools of law, medicine, and business; libraries; interdepartmental programs; athletics; students; alumni; and special topics, including local history.

The Stanford University Archives was officially created in 1965 by the Board of Trustees, but active collection of historical materials had been in place prior to that date. One of the early attempts to catalog some of that material was a subject framework known as the "4digit" collection, now known as the publications and ephemera collection.

1000 Linear feet

The materials are open for research use.