The Eugene and Jerine Bird Papers primarily document the Birds' lives during Eugene's tenure with the U.S. Foreign Service, though Jerine's activities post-dating Eugene's overseas assignments are also well documented. The collection contains the Birds' incoming and outgoing correspondence with family and friends, along with some professional correspondence. It also includes their subject files, mostly pertaining to social and economic conditions in the Middle East in the 1970s (especially in Saudi Arabia), and articles, poetry, speeches, and other writings on the Middle East and various topics. Of particular note are the drafts and research materials related to Jerine's unpublished book on the changing roles of Saudi Arabian women in the late twentieth century.

Please see the series descriptions in the contents list for additional information about individual series.