Collection documenting the life and work of Thomas Merton through articles, artwork, correspondence, essays, poems, prefaces, reviews, and other writings by Merton, as well as correspondence and writings about Merton pertaining to exhibitions and memorials.

Merton’s writings include book reviews, essays, notes, monographs, poetry, prefaces, sermons, and translations, and are found in the collection as manuscripts, typescripts, mimeographs, and publisher’s proofs, many hand-annotated. The typescripts, including mimeographed works of limited distribution, form the bulk of the collection; a highlight is an original typescript of The Seven Storey Mountain.

Correspondence is Merton's direct exchanges with Boston College Librarians Terrence Connolly, SJ and Brendan Connolly, SJ and others, as well as his “Circular Letters,” which were sent by Merton when he could not maintain personal correspondences.

The graphic works in the collection are Merton’s original calligraphic drawings, with documentation surrounding exhibition of these works, and photographs of Merton.