The collection consists of Hester’s articles, usually in the form of clippings from the original newspapers, with accompanying research materials. Some folders may only include clippings while others may only include research materials about the topic in question. In rarer cases, correspondence and other documents related to the production of Hester’s work are found. Many of the terms used for the file names are the same as those Hester herself used, such as “People” for a folder of materials relating to personal profiles or “Black Athens” for the collection of materials relating to local African American history.

Some materials not directly related to Hester’s journalism work are included, mostly in the folders named, Personal materials and Neighborhoods: Five Points/ Parr's Alley, but also scattered throughout the collection, such as in the Jubilee Partners and Vernacular Georgia folders and in the materials pertaining to Nicaragua and Central America.

Two folders contain materials pertaining to individuals: Black Athens History—individuals; and People—individual profiles. The persons documented in the former are: Barbara Thurmond Archibald; Annie Mack Burney; Mattiwilda Dobbs; Maxie E. Foster; Julia C. Jackson Harris, Samuel Harris; William Henry Harris; Milton D. Hill; Ida M. Johnson Hiram; Lucius Henry Holsey; Alfred Moon; Monroe Morton; Evelyn C. Neely; Sarah Strickland; and Janice Thurmond. In some cases, the materials consist solely of an article written by Hester; there are also two articles covering several prominent African Americans in Athens history.

The persons documented in the the People—individual profiles folder are: Linell A. “Linny” Bailey; Pierre Boulogne; John Michael Coleman; Lynn and Morgan Connelly; William C. “Bubba” Head; Henry “Squab” Jones; Joseph H. “Jack” Lumpkin; Bill Maudlin; Moina Michael; Jill Jayne Read; and William J. Thompson. In addition, this folder contains a large number of Hester’s “Know Your Neighbor” articles, a long-running series for the Athens Banner-Herald/ Athens Daily News.

The miscellaneous folders are split into the following subjects: In the first folder: Aging/ elderly; Arts—varied; the Athens Justice Project; Athens population; the Athens public library; Aviation; the Bartram Trail; Baxter Street; Bounced checks; Breaking Away film and television series; the Bridgeway Christian Home for Boys; the Bradford Brown controversy; the Casulon plantation; the Clarke County Fire Department; and the Classic City Band.

In the second miscellaneous folder: Co-dependency; Cotton production; Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895—Atlanta History Center; Crafts and folk art; Day care; Farming; Gardens and the Ladies Garden Club; the Georgia Department of Human Resources; Georgia Journal magazine; and Liberty Hall—Alexander Stephens.

In the third miscellaneous folder: Music—general; the Neighborhood Health Center; New Age practices; the Nuclear Freeze movement and related political activities; Nursing shortage; Nu-Way Wieners, Macon; Oconee County; Oil; the Olympics; the Opportunities Industrialization Center; Pacifism; Poultry ordinance—Athens; Project Safe.

And in the fourth miscellaneous folder: Rabies; Radon; Recording for the Blind; Sheet music; Southern culture; Trees; Utilities; Whitehall; the controversy over the “White Train” containing nuclear warheads; and Winterville.