The Princeton University Library Collection of Historical Subject Files, Grounds and Buildings contains information relating to the buildings, grounds, and architects of Princeton University. The collection also includes information on the development of the campus and the various chronologies of construction and land acquisition that have been gathered. The collection contains photocopies from university publications (most notably The Nassau Lit, The Daily Princetonian, The Princeton College Bulletin, The Princeton Weekly Bulletin, and the Princeton Alumni Weekly) and regional newspapers (including The New York Times, The Princeton Herald, The Princeton Packet, and Town Topics) about University buildings, grounds, and architects of Princeton University. Other printed materials include insurance surveys, press releases from the Department of Public Information, and programs from dedication ceremonies. Less frequently, there are general interoffice correspondence; schematic floor plans; student papers; excerpts from books on architects; excerpts from the Trustees Minutes; campus maps or diagrams; bibliographic references; and invitations to ceremonies.

This collection also contains information pertaining to several buildings in the town that have been connected with the University in some way – some owned by the University, some owned by faculty members, some tied by the University through historical events. There is also a limited amount of information on the buildings used or owned by the privately operated eating clubs on Prospect Avenue.

The coverage of the collection is weakest for the earliest and most recent buildings, with the exception of Nassau Hall. The construction booms under Presidents McCosh (1868-1888) and Hibben (1910-1932) enjoy a proportionate amount of documentation. The selections from the "Olla-Podrida" in The Nassau Lit, in the late 19th century, are a gold mine of student opinion on the buildings from that time.