Annie Sherman James Burling, student and school principal, attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary from 1863-1864. The catalogue for that year lists her residence as Millburn, New Jersey. After leaving Mount Holyoke, she was principal of a school in Millburn, New Jersey. She married John B. Burling, a doctor, in 1882 and they had four children. She died in 1920 in Summit, New Jersey.

The Annie S. James Burling Papers consist of a letter, a combined personal journal and account book, a botany notebook, and an autograph album. These documents chiefly date from her year as a student at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, 1863-1864. The letter was written by J.H. Ripley, principal of a school in New Jersey that she attended, attesting to Annie's progress in Latin, algebra, and higher arithmetic, as well as mental philosophy, history, and the "ordinary English branches." The journal dates from September 18, 1863-January 1, 1864 and includes reference to teachers, her health, recreational activities like walking, and Sunday preachers. There is an additional entry in the journal dated April 3, 1866, which tells of Burling's experience having three cavities filled. The account book dates from March 31, 1863-July 18, 1864 and records for expenses include school and sewing supplies, oil and coal, soap, hair pins, board during vacation, and missionary giving. There is an additional entry in the account book, dated April 13-26, 1866, which includes the cost of the fillings, as well as the costs of books and shoes. There is also an account of time spent on her domestic work, washing dishes. Her botany notebook includes notes concerning orders of plants. Her autograph album from 1864 includes notes from classmates and tin type from classmates.

This collection is organized into four series:

• Letter
• Journal and Account Book
• Botany Notebook
• Autograph Album