This small archive primarily contains issues of literary magazines in which Ben Tibbs's poetry was published: Pyramid, The Sole Proprietor, Valve and Pandora: The Humanities (a semi-annual magazine that was published via the Western Michigan University College of General Studies). It also contains a list of the books included in his family's initial donation of books to WMU Special Collections, promotional photographs of Ben Tibbs with corresponding negatives, and several ephemeral items.

Associated with this archive is the Ben Tibbs Collection, containing numerous volumes of poetry collected over Tibb' lifetime; the majority of which have been signed or inscribed by the authors. It includes books by Diane Wakoski, Denise Levertov, Muriel Rukeyser, Anne Sexton, Galway Kinnell, David Meltzer, Charles Reznikoff, Diane DiPrima, Robert Bly, W.S. Merwin, Gary Snyder and many others. Tibbs own poetry, book design and graphic art is represented in the collection as well. All of the books are individually cataloged and searchable through the WMU Libraries online catalog through Library Search.