Collection illustrates the early development of movable type printing in Europe. Collection consists of printed books including a book of hours and a collection of Chaucer's works, as well as leaves from Bibles, hagiographies, liturgical texts, and works of history, literature, canon law, and botany.

The fonds consists of 14 photographs of Ethel Foote, her cousin Ray Rappel, Jean Goff and Ray's other friends in England, and Ray's wife Rosina. There is also Ethel's war registration card, and a 16 page letter from Rosina to Ethel in September 1944, written in response to Ethel's first letter to her. At the time, Rosina was already married/engaged to Ray and had applied to come to Canada.

Collection consists of manuscripts (books, leaves, and documents written by hand), mostly from medieval and early modern Europe. Most items were produced in Western and Southern Europe (France, England, Flanders, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and Spain), although a few are from the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Many leaves are illuminated and feature decorative initials, borders, line fillers, etc. Most are in Latin, although a few are in medieval vernacular or other languages.

The collection is arranged in series by manuscript type: Books of hours, liturgical books (contains leaves from psalters, breviaries, antiphonals, and graduals), charters, Bibles, and canon law.