The Congressman J. Howard Coble Papers consist of constituent correspondence, photographs, videos, issue files, newspaper clippings, legislative materials, and personal papers.

The bulk of the materials relate to Coble's time as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. These include campaign materials, financial materials, legsilative materials relating to his work as a Congressman, government documents, and audiovisual and photographic materials related to his role as a Congressman.

The constituent correspondence documents the local concerns and interests of North Carolina's 6th District citizens regarding local, state, national, and global issues. It also highlights their interactions with Coble's office as they actively assisted constituents with a wide range of requests and concerns. The correspondence is arranged by month and year. Among many features in the collection, there are local reactions to Don't Ask Don't Tell, the War on Terror, NAFTA legislation, net neutrality, tobacco legislation, defining marriage laws, global warming, etc.

The collection also contains materials related to his personal life and service in the U.S. Coast Guard. These include records, artifacts, photographs, and scrapbooks. Some highlights include elementary school report cards, Coast Guard performance reviews, and family scrapbooks.