The Aletha Hutchison (Jacobs) Collection is composed of materials documenting Hutchison's experiences both as a student and as a teacher in the rural school systems of Iowa and Pennsylvania.  The collection includes official school records and Hutchison's personal papers providing insight into many facets of rural school life from 1898-1960.

The August Meester Collection is comprised of records dating from 1927-1955. The records were kept by the donor from his time as the District Board of Education Secretary for Grundy County, Pleasant Valley Township, #6.

The Funnemark Family Collection contains educational publications and student records dating from 1912-1947. Student records include certificates, awards, and workbooks covering the following subjects: civics, arithmetic, geography, and history. Various issues of The Instructor and Children's Activities compose the educational publication collection.

As the District Board of Education Secretary for Black Hawk County, Cedar Falls Township, #6 Eddy School, Harry Barck amassed a collection of rural school records that shed light on the duties of a school board officer. In addition to Mr. Barck's secretarial records, The Harry Barck Collection contains materials from Mrs. Pauline L. Barck (Hekel), a rural school teacher, and the student records of the couple's two children, Frances A. Brunskill (Barck), and Philip H. Barck.

This collection, dating from 1924-1929, originated from the #3 Rough Woods schoolhouse located in Hardin County, Pleasant Township. Consisting solely of teaching aids known as the "Instructor Picture Series", the Rough Woods School Collection provides insight into the teaching methods utilized in rural schools. The "Instructor Picture Series" encouraged students to think critically about works of art and develop oral and written communication skills in the process.

The William L. Sherman Collection contains a variety of records pertaining to rural schools and rural school reenactment programs including rural school photographs, reproductions schoolbooks, brochures, and programs. Mr. Sherman continues to conduct research and to add to this collection.

Consisting of a variety of publications, the William W. and Helen (Lewis) Gibson Collection will aid researchers interested in rural school teaching methods, student activities, and culture. Dating from 1883-1968, the collection contains many of the Great Men and Famous Women volumes, as well as issues of The Instructor, Child Life, and Primary Educator, among others.