The Bonnie Kern papers date from 1945 to 2014 and measure 2.5 linear feet in six boxes. The papers are arranged in five series: Biographical Information (1945-2014), Employment (2004-2011), Education (1993-2010), Professional Organizations (1999-2010), and Writing (2000-2012).

The biographical series contains information on Kern’s personal life including her marriages, the contract for the donation of her body, her family genealogy and several lawsuits brought by Kern. More of these materials are in a collection of letters, awards and other documents outlining Kern’s life and accomplishments entitled “Lost and Found.”

The Employment series has records of Kern’s work as a commercial truck driver and a disability rights investigator as well as resumes, letters of reference, and corporate and administrative records from her business, Assessing Disability Barriers. In addition, personnel records and her appeal for unemployment benefits after leaving her job as a disability rights investigator for Iowa Protection and Advocacy are included in this section.

Kern’s studies at Drake University, including classwork and syllabi, her graduation ceremony and celebration, and counseling internship are in the Education series.

The Professional Organizations series consists of annual meeting guides with notations of Kern’s presentations and copies of presentations. The Writing series provides insight into the writing, editing, marketing, publication and sales records of her novel, Proclivity, and early copies of her second proposed writing project, The Story/Steel Ceiling. This section also includes both published and unpublished reviews and reader responses about Proclivity and articles about her writing.