The Helen Lemme Reading Club records date from 1984 to 1998 and measure 4 linear inches. The collection consists primarily of the club's meeting announcements, book lists, and articles. The articles files include book reviews, essays about Black literature, training guides for discussion leaders, and articles about race, as well as a few photocopied newspaper clippings about Helen Lemme. The collection also contains extensive book lists that demonstrate the focus of the reading group.

The file representing the Black Women's Support Group, which was developed in conjunction with the reading club, contains three letters sent to group members. The Surveys file contains records of a survey conducted during one of the first meetings of the reading club, which solicitied suggestions for the group's name and ways to improve its operation. The correspondence file includes members' book proposals, inquiries about use of the Afro American Cultural Center (Afro House), and reservation slips for the group to meet there. The Mailing lists file reflects the changing membership of the reading group.

The Helen Lemme Reading Club Library series contains a small number of materials related to the 2023 opening of the Helen Lemme Reading Club Library, a lending library located at the Afro House consisting of both books read by the Helen Lemme Reading Club and contemporary selections about the Black, African, and African American experience. The library's creation was a collaboration between UI Libraries and Afro House staff and was funded by several University grants.