The Elaine Szymoniak papers date from 1974 to 2004 and measure 4.62 linear feet. The papers are arranged in five series: Audiology and speech pathology, Des Moines City Council, Political campaigns, Iowa State Senate and Personal. The papers document Szymoniak's professional and public life. The bulk of the collection is correspondence between Szymoniak and her constituents while in the Iowa State Senate.

Elaine Szymoniak's professional work as a hearing and speech consultant is represented in the Audiology and speech pathology series (1954-1986). In this series are reports produced by Szymoniak on the need for environmental noise control and two works written as part of her master's degree about hearing children growing up with deaf parents. Also of interest in this series are the legal briefs and materials regarding the issues of Title XIX Medicaid coverage of hearing aid costs and who should have the licensed ability to diagnose hearing loss.

Szymoniak has served as an elected official since 1977. The Des Moines City Council series (1977-1988 and undated) contains the papers from her tenure as the first ward city council member for Des Moines. The series includes topical files on local and national subjects that show her interest in various contemporary issues. However the majority of this series is made up of newspaper clippings chronicling Szymoniak's work on the city council. Also included are a copy of the minutes of Szymoniak's first city council meeting and letters from constituents with her response attached.

Szymoniak ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Des Moines twice but won election and re-election as a state senator. The Political campaigns series (1979-1992) is divided by the two offices for which she campaigned. The Mayor of Des Moines subseries contains newspaper clippings, political mailings and Szymoniak's candidacy speech announcing her first campaign for mayor. In a letter in the Woman's campaign fund folder Szymoniak provides her own analysis of why she lost the election in 1979. The State senate subseries provides insight into Szymoniak's campaign financing and her integrity in dealing with a minor infraction of the disclosure law concerning the source of funding for political advertising. A report, "A Survey of Voter's Attitudes in Iowa's 36th District," commissioned by the Iowa Democratic Party, provides statistical data on voter's views on various topics of importance to the 1992 campaign. The series also contains various campaign buttons.

The Iowa State Senate series (1989-2001) comprises the bulk of the collection. This series consists primarily of correspondence between Szymoniak and her constituents. The letters are organized chronologically, with the originating letter and response together. Most of the letters from the public to Szymoniak are from 1994 when her subcommittee controlled an abortion parental notification bill in the senate. A 1991 statement Szymoniak made to the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Human Resources exhibits her concern for families and children.

The collection concludes with the Personal series (1986-2000), including Szymoniak's certificates and awards, the professional organizations to which she belonged, and photographs and other memorabilia from her travels.