The Articles and Reprints series contains copies of approximately 160 papers authored or co-authored by Dale E. Sayers, dating from 1969 to 2004. Most papers are included as reprints from publications such as , , , , and . Some papers include drafts, notes, and correspondence. A copy of Sayers' Ph.D. dissertation from the University of Washington is also included in this series.

The Notebooks series contains notebooks, notes, test papers, experiment reports, and experiment logbooks from Sayers' undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Washington and from his research career at North Carolina State University. Some log books from Sayers' lab assistants and graduate assistants are included. Materials date from 1959 to 1998.

The Course Files series contains assignments, quizzes, exams, student information, and other materials associated with Sayers' teaching career at North Carolina State University. Materials date from 1966 to 2004. In order to protect student privacy, some materials in this series have restricted access.

The Personnel Files series contains information on hiring, collaborative research projects, and personnel budgeting. Also included are recommendations, correspondence, advisee research papers, and resumes and curriculum vitae for Sayers and some of his colleagues and students. Materials date from 1965 to 2004. In order to protect privacy, some materials in this series have restricted access.

The Grant Files series contains information on Sayers' numerous grants, dating from 1978 to 2004. Sayers was involved in grant projects with Exxon, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, Procter & Gamble, the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Department of Energy, and the University of Connecticut, among others. Materials in this series include grant proposals, reports, contracts, correspondence, and budget and staff information. Some materials in this series have restricted access.

The Departmental and University Files series contains information on administrative policies, facilities planning, development, budgets, and university and departmental committees; as well as departmental activity reports and strategic planning files. Many facilities planning files document the planning of buildings on the Centennial Campus of North Carolina State University. Materials in this series date from 1979 to 2004. The bulk of the material comes from the North Carolina State University Department of Physics, with additional files from the Chemistry department, the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina system.

The Meeting and Workshop Files series contains information on meetings and workshops that were attended and/or arranged by Dale Sayers. Materials include meeting bulletins and programs, mailing lists, notes, minutes, memos, and correspondence. Organizations and groups include the International XAFS Society, the American Physical Society, and the National Synchrotron Light Source. Materials in this series date from 1980 to 2006.

The Presentation Files series contains slides, overhead transparencies, notes, and other materials from numerous talks and presentations given by Dr. Sayers in classes, at conferences, and at meetings. Many items in this series are undated; dated materials range from 1985 to 2000.

The Research Files series documents Sayers' involvement in numerous research projects and experiments throughout his career, with materials dating from 1959 to 2003. The bulk of this material involves Sayers' work on the NC STAR Storage Ring Project (North Carolina Storage Rings for Advanced Research), TRP (Technology Reinvestment Project), and JEDI-ALT (Joint Economic Development Initiative - Advanced Light Technologies). These research files also include information on Sayers' and his Participating Research Team's (PRT) involvement in projects with the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), the Advanced Light Source (ALS), the Canadian Light Source (CLS), and Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). Other research projects include Sayers' work with MEMS ( Microelectromechanical Systems) and for the Mobil Research and Development Corporation. Research topics and areas include extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), x-ray absorption spectroscopy, amorphous materials, mammography technology, synchrotron radiation, and environmental science. Research data and notes, project correspondence, institutional agreements, budget information, and reference papers are among the items in this series.

The Correspondence series includes general correspondence sent and received between 1988 and 1994. To preserve continuity, correspondence files directly associated with materials in other series have been left with those materials; therefore correspondence relating to specific projects in the Research Files series can be found in that series.