The papers consist of the manuscripts of Cuban songs written by Juan Valdés Terán in Cuban prison where he was held as a political prisoner for many years, correspondence, clippings, memorabilia and photographs.

The Magali O. Acosta Collection contains parts and scores for arrangements by the Cuban composer Rodrigo Prats, written between 1956 and 1960.  Acosta and Prats collaborated on a series of dance performances called "Ballet Español", which included works of Ernesto Lecuona and Agustín Lara, among others, when they both worked for the Sylvia M. Goudie dance studio in Havana.

An important supplement to this collection is the 10-year retrospective of the Studio Sylvia M. Goudie, "Memoria: 1949-1959", in which Acosta writes about her collaborations with Prats.