The papers of Patricia Herring date from 1979 to 2008 and measure 10.5 linear feet.  The records are arranged into the following series: Biographical information, Newsletters, AIDS published materials, AIDS topical, People with AIDS, Politics and legislation, AIDS services, Social work, the University of Iowa, and Artifacts.

The Biographical information  series (1984-1999) includes resumes, a memoir written by Patricia Herring's mother, a program from a Monaghan family reunion, and a book of photographs taken by Herring's father, Ardis Herring, during the 1950s.

The Newsletters series (1987-1999) are comprised of state and national newsletters.  The majority of newsletters were published by AIDS organizations in Iowa.  Newsletters published by state and national AIDS and GLBT organizations complete the series.

The AIDS published materials series (1984-1997) consists of clippings from newspapers throughout Iowa, manuals for people with HIV/AIDS and their caregivers, and pamphlets. This series provides information about early AIDS treatments and advocacy.

The AIDS topical series (1984-1997) pertains to issues that affected people with HIV/AIDS, including healthcare, homophobia, sexism, and discrimination. Materials include popular magazine articles, correspondence, and reports.

The People with AIDS series (1987-1996) is comprised of letters, obituaries, newspaper clippings, and video cassette tapes created by or written about Iowans with HIV/AIDS. This series includes folders on Barbara Fassbinder, a nurse who contracted the HIV virus on the job; Rick Graf and Ron Kephart, openly gay HIV/AIDS activists from Iowa City; and Tony Bowser, a father of three from rural Iowa, who became an activist after he tested positive for the HIV virus.

The Politics and legislation series (1987-1997) includes legislative bills, correspondence, and position papers related to legislation affecting persons with HIV/AIDS and their caregivers. Several bills pertain to patient privacy, including efforts to require people who test positive for the HIV virus to report their results to health care providers. This series also contains records of the AIDS Taskforce, which was created by the Iowa General Assembly to provide recommendations to Iowa legislators. Newsletters, agendas, and newspaper clippings pertaining to AIDS and GLBT organizations that lobbied the Iowa General Assembly and the US Congress complete the series.

The AIDS services series (1979-2008) is the largest series of the collection, measuring over six linear feet. It consists of the minutes, agendas, reports, and correspondence of organizations that provided care to Iowans with HIV/AIDS or educated the public about the disease. The folders pertaining to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics trace the development of the Hospital's Virology Clinic, which opened in 1986. Grant materials located in the HIV Care Consortia and ICAP folders include data about a number of AIDS organizations located throughout the state.

The Social work series (1979-1993) includes reports and position papers that detail the work of social workers during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s. Patricia Herring's speeches and notes document her role in educating the public about HIV/AIDS.

The University of Iowa series (1990-1998) consists of agendas, flyers, and newspaper clippings for the University's faculty and staff GLBT organization. Publicity for a dance choreographed by Bill T. Jones at the University in 1994 completes the series.

Artifacts (1994-1996) include buttons, an ICARE t-shirt, and two safe sex kits.