The Carl Sandburg Collection documents the life and career of poet, author, musician, and Abraham Lincoln scholar, Carl Sandburg, with a focus on published tributes, dedications, events held in his honor, and a small amount of material related to his family members. The collection consists of items donated by a number of individuals, including radio broadcasting pioneer and Civil War scholar, Carl Haverlin; rare book dealers, Jacob and Josephine ver Brugge-Zeitlin; and selected members of the Sandburg family, including sisters, Esther Sandburg Wachs and Mary Sandburg Johnson, and niece, Jane Matthews. A portion of the collection is believed to have been assembled by donors for various exhibits between 1954 and 1982. The collection is divided into two series, Series I: Subject Files (ca. 1875-1982) and Series II: Scrapbooks (1919-1974).

Series I, Subject Files, documents the public and personal life of Carl Sandburg through writings, photographs, and ephemera related to his childhood and early history, career as a poet and author, associations with celebrities and other authors, and his relationships with family members. The series includes newspaper and magazine clippings; exhibition materials; brochures and pamphlets; event invitations, programs, and announcements; advertisements and promotional materials; newsletters; printed works and book drafts; correspondence; and audio visual material. The series is arranged alphabetically by subject.

Series II, Scrapbooks, documents the writing career and life experiences of Carl Sandburg with a focus on his role as a public figure. The series consists of newspaper and magazine clippings, programs, correspondence, announcements, illustrations, and a small number of photographs which have been assembled into scrapbooks by members of the Sandburg family and other collectors of Sandburg related materials. The series is arranged chronologically.