The Sondra Smith papers date from 1965-2010 and measure 5 linear feet. The papers are arranged in six series: Biographical, Women's Movement, Iowa Memorial Union Catering, Photographs, Artifacts, and Audiovisual.

The Biographical (1965-2005) series contains Smith's 1977 offer of employment with the Iowa Memorial Union food service and a Press-Citizen article on Smith and her catering team.

The Women's Movement series (1968-2004) consists of numerous independent periodicals related to feminism, the 1970s women's movement of the 1970s, and handbooks on women's health. It contains records on the Dum-Dum Co-Operative Day Care Center, founded by members of the Iowa City Women's Liberation Front under the B.O.S.S. (Bitches Out to Stomp Sexism) Manifesto, which advocated a radical feminist approach to class, race, and sexuality. The series includes manifestos, minutes, notes, and newspaper articles about Dum-Dum. It contains publications by independent press groups, Ain't I A Woman?, and The Birth Control Handbook, an independently published guide to sexual health and reproduction. Smith's papers related to the Emma Goldman Clinic are also included.

The Iowa Memorial Union Catering series (1970-2010) contains documents relating to the events Smith organized and supervised as Catering Manager. The materials are organized chronologically by event and range from major concerts to banquets, benefits, dedications, and celebrations. Also included are administrative documents such as department reviews, and professional correspondence. The Louis Szathmary subseries includes three books shelved in the printed works collection, which are personally inscribed to Sondra Smith from celebrity chef and University of Iowa patron Louis Szathmary: American Gastronomy: An Illustrated Portfolio of Recipes and Culinary History, The Bakery Restaurant Cookbook, and Magyar Poems.

The Photographs series (1965-2005) comprises photographs of Iowa Memorial Union events relating to Smith's catering work, including food displays, decorations, room arrangements, staff, and guests. Also included are personal photographs of Smith and her children, friends, and fellow women's rights activists.

The Artifacts series includes mugs, pins, and paperweights from the University of Iowa.