Project participants are each encoding their own finding aids. In most cases, these exist in electronic form already (Microsoft Word or HTML), but some are being keyed in from printed guides. Most encoding is being done in-house, with XMetaL and NoteTab as the main tools being used. Some files are being outsourced for encoding to an Australian firm which specializes in SGML data creation and conversion.

The encoded files are submitted to the University of Western Australia for final proofing and Web publication. As part of this process, files are parsed again by the DynaText software. Indexing is also provided by the DynaText and DynaWeb suite.

The Guide is a national database of finding aids for more than 80 collections of Australian literary manuscripts. It brings scattered and hard-to-find information together in one place.

It contains detailed inventories of the manuscripts of 65 authors, including Peter Carey, Miles Franklin, Elizabeth Jolley, John Kinsella, David Malouf, Katharine Susannah Prichard, Kenneth Slessor and Christina Stead.

The contributing libraries are the National Library of Australia, the Australian Defence Force Academy Library, the State Library of New South Wales, the University of Queensland Library, the University of Sydney Library, and the University of Western Australia Library.

Each finding aid can be browsed or searched, and contains the following information: Summary, Biographical Note, Administrative Information, Access Notes, and Series List and Description.