This collection consists of a number of different materials relating to Elliott Ruben's interests in amateur journalism ("ajay") and his membership in a number of amateur press associations ("apas"). The materials in Series I consist of 'bundles' of publications sent to apa members at regular intervals. In most apas, members submit copies of their publications to an Official Mailer (or Editor, who then collates the materials into 'bundles' and sends them to the membership so that each member has a copy of whatever publication the other members choose to print and distribute. The Ruben Collection organizes its bundles alphabetically by the name of the apa, and thereunder chronologically by the date sent. Oversize materials from each bundle have been unfolded and placed behind the smaller materials in the bundle - in folders that have bundles with oversize materials, these large and unfolded materials serve as the boundary between individual bundles. The Ruben Collection contains bundles for several apas - the Amalgamated Printers Association (APA), the American Amateur Press Association (AAPA), the National Amateur Press Association (NAPA), and the United Amateur Press Association of America (UAPA)- that cover the decades from the 1930s through the early 2000s. Series II consists almost entirely of the official organizational publications issued by the apas listed above. Series III contains various ajay publications (zines, flyers, advertisements, handbills, and other examples of amateur printing) that arrived at the University of Iowa unattached to any particular bundle. Many of these items probably come from members of the UAPA, for which the original envelopes long since disintegrated. These items are arranged alphabetically by the title of the publication. Also contained in this series are several cooperative publications (annual anthologies of ajay items) produced by various apas. Series IV consists of correspondence sent to Ruben from many of his friends in the ajay world, as well as official materials produced by the apas of which he was a member Series V contains Ruben's childhood publications, created by Ruben from the ages of 10-16.