This collection consists of university publications including class schedules, commencement programs, student and parent handbooks, campus directories, advertising brochures, and newsletters issued by various campus departments and organizations. The collection dates from 1899 to the present and documents the university's evolution from its founding as The State Normal School of San Diego, to the San Diego State Teachers College, San Diego State College, and San Diego State University. The collection is divided into nine series: Class Schedules, Commencement Programs, Redbooks (Student Directories), Telephone Directories, Handbooks, This Is San Diego State Curriculum Guides, Aztec Shops Book Lists, and Newsletters and Periodicals.

Other SDSU publications can be found in the library catalog and digital collections, including the general course catalogs and graduate bulletins, student newspapers, including the Daily Aztec, and yearbooks. Researchers can also browse university publications in the library catalog by searching for the publisher: for example, "San Diego State University," "San Diego State College," "San Diego State Normal School," etc.

Series I, Class Schedules, includes class schedules and bulletins and supplemental materials regarding registration, filed chronologically. This series dates from 1913 to 2004 and is divided into four sub-series: Spring and Fall, Summer, Evening Classes, and Extended Studies. This last subseries includes the spring, summer, fall and winter class schedules for the College of Extended Studies (now SDSU Global Campus).

Series II, Commencement Programs, dates from 1899 to 2017 and is filed chronologically. The earliest programs in this series are photocopies.

Series III, Redbooks and Student Directories, dates from 1935 to 1988 and is filed chronologically. The Redbook was published annually by the Alpha Phi Omega service franternity and includes names, addresses and telephone numbers of students, faculty and staff.

Series IV, Telephone Directories, consists of telephone directories published by the university with telephone numbers for faculty, students and campus offices. The series dates from 1951 to 2002 and is filed chronologically.

Series V, Handbooks, dates from 1922 to 2013 and is filed chronologically. The handbooks answer common questions and provide a guide to campus resources and traditions. They are divided into four sub-series. The Student Handbooks are guides to the university, its academic programs, policies, customs, services and organizations. The Student Organization Handbook provides guidelines and policies for forming new student organizations and planning activities. The Parents' Handbook answers common questions for parents of students. The Other Handbooks and Campus Guides sub-series includes sporadically published guides and guides on special topics.

Series VI, This Is San Diego State, dates from 1956 to 1974 and is filed chronologically. This Is San Diego State is a pamphlet aimed at new and prospective students and covers the university's history, academic programs, campus resources and organizations.

Series VII, Curriculum Guides, consists of faculty guides for developing proposals for courses and degree programs. The series dates from 1975 to 2006 and is filed chronologically.

Series VIII, Aztec Shops Book Lists, dates from 1957 to 2000 and is filed chronologically.

Series IX, Newsletters and Periodicals, consists of newsletters issued by individual colleges, departments and offices, and student, faculty and staff groups and organizations. The newsletters cover a broad range of campus groups and activities, academic programs, labor unions, franternal and academic student organizations, university and student government, and campus facilities. The series dates from circa 1922 to 2006 and is filed alphabetically by title.