The Edward E. Marsh Scientology Collection documents nearly seven decades of history, teachings, and communications around the group referred to as the Church of Scientology and its auxiliary organizations through a range of publications, internal records and artifacts. The collection includes informational pamphlets, booklets, fliers, handbooks, course materials, policy letters, event programs, news clippings, journals, photographs, product catalogs, audiovisual materials, apparel, and E-Meter devices and associated artifacts.

The majority of the material dates from the 1950s through the early 2000s and offers a compelling overview of the core tenets of Scientology, its organizational structure, and its public relations agenda. The collection is divided into seven series: Scientology Marketing and Outreach Materials (1950–2020), Scientology Instructional and Course Materials (1951–2015), Scientology Serials (1951–2011), Legal Materials (1952–1963), Scientology Event Materials (1968–2019), L. Ron Hubbard Biographical Materials (1941–2011), and Auditing Materials (1954–2013). Please note that the library cannot guarantee the functionality or playback quality of all CDs, DVDs, cassette tapes and vinyl records included in this collection.

The Scientology Marketing and Outreach Materials (1950–2020) document how the Church of Scientology informed, promoted and affirmed its religious beliefs and activities. These printed materials are primarily aimed at the general public and include pamphlets, booklets, brochures, glossaries and fliers with information about Scientology’s general principles and organizational objectives. The series also notably contains product catalogs for Scientology books and merchandise, health protocol booklets distributed during the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic, news clippings featuring actor John Travolta, an informational booklet on Narconon (a Scientology organization focused on drug rehabilitation), and apparel with branding of various Scientology organizations and publications that assert Scientology’s opposition to the field of psychiatry. Separate boxes of audiovisual materials in the collection include CDs, DVDs, cassettes and vinyl records that showcase Scientology music, albums by Scientology member Chick Corea, church activities and beliefs. The materials are arranged alphabetically by folder and item name.

The Scientology Instructional and Course Materials (1951–2015) document the study of Scientology’s core beliefs, practices and techniques. Spanning decades from Scientology’s founding to the near-present-day church, this is the largest series of the collection and contains internal materials created with instructional purposes for Scientology members, including booklets, handbooks, training pamphlets, text books, manuals, course binders and lecture notes, many of which emphasize Hubbard’s theory of Dianetics. The series is organized into two subseries: Printed Materials and Audiovisual Materials. Notable items from the first subseries include a rare copy of Scientology 88 (1952) that was the personal property of L. Ron Hubbard, nine binders worth of Hubbard Communications Office Policy Letters that detail the inner-workings of Scientology organizations, Scientology course “reference packs” that contain uniquely assembled, printed resources for learning and a complete “Dianetics Self-Improvement Package” in its original box with printed and audiovisual components. The second subseries primarily consists of over 100 Advanced Clinical Course Lectures that each contain lecture recordings on compact discs and printed transcripts, housed in plastic cases. Separate boxes of audiovisual materials in the collection include L. Ron Hubbard lecture recordings and a course on Dianetics in vinyl record format. The materials are arranged alphabetically by folder and item name.

The Scientology Serials (1951–2011) document news, stories and updates in specific areas of Scientology disseminated through publications. The series contains news sheets, newsletters, full issues, photocopies and issue segments from publications including Ability, Advance Magazine, and Dianetics Today. Notably included are issues spanning from 1971–2001 of The Auditor: The Monthly Journal of Scientology as well as four issues of The Indispensability of Scientology Press, which compiles Scientology features across various news publications. The materials are arranged alphabetically by publication name.

The Legal Materials (1952–1963) document claims, evidence and statements focused primarily on the religious nature of Scientology. The series includes printed statements made by L. Ron Hubbard that commented on a U.S. government raid on the Church, two reference booklets printed for the use of U.S. government agencies, and the 1961 by-laws from the Church of Scientology of California signed by Julia Salomon Lewis. The series also notably contains a transcript of 1952 court proceedings that cover the Hubbard Dianetic Foundation bankruptcy case. The materials are arranged alphabetically by folder name.

The Scientology Event Materials (1968–2019) documents specific events of various Scientology organizations. The series contains a booklet from the Citizens Commission on Human Rights 50-Year celebration, a program for the Grand Congress of the American Saint Hill Organization, a booklet to commemorate L. Ron Hubbard’s birthday in 1993, 6 items of event-specific apparel, and a booklet containing a program for the International Conference for World Peace and Social Reform held in California in 1976. The materials are arranged alphabetically by folder name.

The L. Ron Hubbard Biographical Materials (1941–2011) document the life, history and contributions of L. Ron Hubbard. The series contains a copy of a letter of recommendation for L. Ron Hubbard written by his college professor, a binder of printed quotations from L. Ron Hubbard, four folders filled with photo prints that feature L. Ron Hubbard primarily throughout his pursuits in the Church of Scientology and his work as a fiction writer, and four framed works with photos of L. Ron Hubbard which were displayed in an exhibition at SDSU. The materials are arranged alphabetically by folder name.

The Auditing Materials (1954–2013) document the Scientology practice of “auditing” through specialized tools and resources. In Scientology, auditing involves counseling techniques led by a trained “auditor” to help an individual advance through specific levels. The series is organized into two subseries: E-Meter artifacts and Auditing Resources. The E-Meter artifacts primarily document E-Meter devices, which record human electrodermal activity and are used extensively in the Church of Scientology. This subseries includes unique E-Meter models from as early as 1959, E-Meter Drills Simulator devices used for training purposes, E-Meter original manuals, E-Meter cases, and sets of metal electrode handles used with E-Meters. One notable item is a photograph of American author William S. Burroughs at a desk with an E-Meter. The Auditing Resources subseries documents Hubbard’s early theories and teachings on the practice of auditing, specifically through instructional handbooks and Professional Auditor’s Bulletins reference books. The materials are arranged alphabetically by folder and item name.