The James M. Buchanan papers largely consist of correspondence, writings, and administrative files created between the years 1930-2014. The collection contains 9 series.

Series 1: Biographical materials (circa 1800s, 1944-2012) contains information about James M. Buchanan's life and career. It is further divided into four subseries. Subseries 1.1: Ann Bakke Buchanan papers contains materials created by Ann Bakke Buchanan, James M. Buchanan's wife. Materials include correspondence, recipe cards, notebooks, calendars, and photographs. Some of the correspondence is in Norwegian, and some addressed to both James and Ann as a couple. Subseries 1.2: Awards contains newspapers clippings, congratulatory letters, photographs, and memorabilia relating to awards Buchanan received during his career. The majority of the materials relate to the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics. Subseries 1.3: Education contains study notes, essays, syllabi, and research notes from Buchanan's education, mostly from his PhD study at the University of Chicago. Subseries 1.4: Clippings contains newspaper and magazine clippings about Buchanan, including articles about his work, interviews, and reports on events he attended.

Series 2: Correspondence (1951-2014) contains letters, emails, memoranda, cards, and other forms of written communication, mostly dealing with Buchanan's professional career. Subseries 2.1: Alphabetical correspondence contains the bulk of the correspondence, filed alphabetically by correspondent, subject, or name of an organization. Subseries 2.2: Chronological correspondence is a small amount of unrelated correspondence that was grouped together in date ranges, likely by either Buchanan himself, or his assistants Betty Tillman and Jo Ann Burgess.

Series 3: Writings (1946-2012) contains drafts, typescripts, photocopies, notes, and reprints of Buchanan's books, articles, speaking lectures, and unpublished material. There are also research files relating to some of his writing projects, and some correspondence with publishers, coauthors, and reviewers.

Series 4: Academia (1946-2013) contains correspondence, reports, planning documents, and grant files relating to Buchanan's work at various universities, primarily University of Virginia, Virginia Polytechnic Institute (now Virginia Tech), and George Mason University. Subseries 4.1: Administration contains reports, memoranda, correspondence, photographs, calendars, and planning documents relating to department and university business. Subseries 4.2: Teaching contains lecture notes, drafts, syllabi, exams, and readings relating to classes taught by Buchanan over the course of his career. Subseries 4.3: Grants contains correspondence and applications for grant projects undertaken by Buchanan and collaborators. Subseries 4.4: Thomas Jefferson Center for Studies in Political Economy contains annual reports, photographs, and correspondence from the University of Virginia's Thomas Jefferson Center, which was active from 1958 to 1968. Subseries 4.5: Center for Study of Public Choice contains annual reports, conference information, grants, planning documents, board meeting minutes, and correspondence relating to the Center, an academic unit at Virginia Polytechnic Institute from 1968 to 1983 and at George Mason University from 1983 onwards.

Series 5: Professional Service (1958-2013) This series contains materials relating to Buchanan's professional activities outside of his university responsibilities. Subseries 5.1: Conferences and events contains correspondence, schedules, planning documents, papers and lecture notes, and travel documents from conferences, speaking engagements, and other events attended by Buchanan during his career. Subseries 5.2: Consulting and organizations contains annual reports and correspondence relating to Buchanan's work with various organizations outside of his work as a university professor.

Series 6: Betty Tillman papers (1968-2008) contains files created by Betty Tillman, administrative assistant to Buchanan and administrative director of the Center for Study of Public Choice. Subseries 6.1: Correspondence contains letters, emails, memoranda, and cards sent and received by Tillman. Subseries 6.2: Office administration contains planning documents, organizational files, and other materials relating to Tillman's handling of Buchanan's and Center for the Study of Public Choice office functions. Subseries 6.3: Conferences, events and travel contains correspondence, calendars, schedules, and travel documents relating to events attended by Buchanan, coordinated by Tillman. It also contains materials created by Tillman as the conference coordinator for the Liberty Fund and Center conferences and events.

Series 7: Jo Ann Burgess papers (1972-2014) contains files created by Jo Ann Burgess, administrative assistant and editor to Buchanan and secretary for the Public Choice Society. Subseries 7.1: Correspondence contains emails, letters, cards, notes, and memoranda, both personal and relating to Burgess' work with Buchanan and the Center for Study of Public Choice. Subseries 7.2: Office administration contains correspondence, calendars, notes, program files, and edited drafts created as part of Burgess' duties working for the Center for Study of Public Choice and as an assistant to Buchanan. Subseries 7.3: Liberty Fund editorial work contains planning documents, correspondence, and drafts created as part of Burgess' work editing The Collected Works of James M. Buchanan and The Selected Works of Gordon Tullock on behalf of the Liberty Fund. Subseries 7.4: Public Choice Society contains correspondence, conference planning documents, and administrative files created as part of Burgess' work as the secretary of the Public Choice Society, a professional organization.

Series 8: Writings by others (1930-2014) contains articles, book drafts, and other writings by authors other than Buchanan. Some materials have notes and annotations. Some writings are about Buchanan and his ideas.

Series 9: Audiovisual and born-digital materials (circa 1970s-2013) contains audiocassettes, videotapes, CDs, DVDs, floppy disks, and associated paper materials. Topics include recordings of the Nobel ceremony and press coverage; interviews and lectures by Buchanan and others and Center for Study of Public Choice events.