The Kate Barrett Collection dates from 1911 to 1963 and contains music and dance instructions for different types of Scottish Country dances, which include reels, jigs, strathspeys, and waltzes. The material was gathered while she was teaching at The Rodean School, Brighton, England from 1959 to 1961. During her time there, Barrett joined a Scottish Dance Club that met once a week; the club gave some of the music to her and she purchased other pieces. Barrett found this material useful after her return to the United States, when she found some limited opportunities to teach Scottish dance.