The Tamiment Library, New York University, a special collection documenting the history of United States radicalism, labor, and progressive social action, accumulated this artificial collection of printed ephemera gradually over the years through purchases, donations, standing orders with publishers, organizations, and bookstores, and through exchanges with other libraries via the Collectors' Network, which was organized by Russell Benedict at the University of Nevada in the 1970s and promoted through his newsletter Top Secret. Ongoing collecting by Library staff is another significant means for acquiring material for the collection.

The collection consists of files of printed ephemera relating to a broad range of subjects connected with the labor movement, trade unionism, radical politics, feminism, civil rights, and peace and other movements. Subjects include Students and Political Activity, the Sacco-Vanzetti trial, the Vietnam War, particularly protest movements, documentation on the movement to landmark Union Square, Women's Liberation, and various communist countries.