The Seamus Cooney Black Sparrow Press Collection is named in honor of Seamus Cooney (1933- ), a Western Michigan University professor emeritus of English. Cooney served as an editor with Black Sparrow Press for many years and it was via his connection with the press that this collection was purchased by Western Michigan University Libraries after the press shut down in 2003. The collection is comprised of the records of the press's editorial office, plus copies of close to every book the press ever published in all of their various editions. The books are all cataloged individually and searchable through the the libraries' online catalog. This finding aid describes the contents of the editorial office records which consist primarily of typescripts for books, editors' copies of the manuscripts, first proofs, uncorrected page proofs, corrected page proofs, galley proofs, catalogs, screenplays, prospecti and correspondence between the editorial office and authors. There are also a few administrative documents. Western Michigan University Libraries does not hold the copyright to any of the titles that were published by Black Sparrow Press. The copyright for a number of old Black Sparrow titles has been transferred to Harper Collins, particularly in the case of works by Charles Bukowski.