With few exceptions, every document in this series was written by either Chancellor Malott or a member of his family. There are journals and records of Deane and Eleanor Malott’s travels after leaving KU, titled "Malott Meanderings;" however, as time progressed, the Malotts would abandon the “Meanderings” title and focus more on documenting their thoughts on current events, impressions of public figures, and other reflections. Most of these volumes were gifted by the Malotts to their son Bob, to whom they also are inscribed.

Several of the later volumes also include “Vignettes,” or short one- to two-paragraph anecdotes and reflections written by the Malotts. Deane Malott also edited and had bound a copy of his mother’s, Edith Johnson Grey, diary from her time in Hawaii in 1895.

While the series mostly includes journals and reflections, it also contains reports Malott wrote while he was president of Cornell University, bound into volumes; letters from KU students to Chancellor Malott; a pamphlet for a museum exhibit about the history of Cornell University; and records of Malott’s wedding.