Throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, the New Orleans Public Library published a number of booklists and bibliographies which highlighted particular areas of the library’s collection. The purpose of these bibliographies was to provide the general public with a list of information resources concerning matters of general interest, including reader advisory, business and investment, consumer protection, social services, foreign language materials and instruction, and identity and gender politics. Of particular interest is this collection’s representation of social issues of the day, including a focus on the black community, women’s rights, campus protests, drug culture, and the Vietnam War.

While informative in nature, these materials were also created to be eye-catching and often incorporated bright colors and artful designs to attract public attention. A sample of items included in this collection have been digitized and can be viewed as part of the City Archives' digital collections