The bulk of the collection is made up of notes and other materials relating to Canfield's courses, lectures, and speeches, spanning his careers at Amherst, Yale and the University of Pittsburgh. The papers also include some correspondence, newspaper clippings, and material for his books, as well as a few framed portraits and photographs.

This collection is organized into six series:

• 1. University of Pittsburgh, 1967-1973
• 2. Amherst College, 1929-1980
• 3. Yale University, 1954-1992
• 4. Miscellaneous, 1936-1981
• 5. Portraits and Photographs, 1946, n.d.
• 6. The Craft of Play Directing (book), ca. 1963