The Ortha Lane papers date from 1921 to 2004 and measure 5 linear inches. The collection is organized into two series: Biographical and Photographs.

The Biographical series (1929-2004) compiles documents relating to Lane’s family, trips to Northern China, and funeral. The materials include biographical sketches presumably written by the donor Betty Schaal (Lane’s niece), news clippings about Lane’s great uncle Elmer B. Lane, Lane’s funeral program, a news clipping of her death, and postcards she wrote from Northern China.

The Photographs series (1921-1940) consists of photographs from Lane’s time in Northern China during her service trips. The two photograph albums in this series represent Lane's first two terms of service in China. Lane wrote identifying descriptions on each page of her photograph albums. The first album concerns Lane's first term of service (1919-1924) and contains the dates 1921-1923, when Lane was serving in the Chingchao District. There are several photographs taken during the great famine China experienced in the 1920s. The second album is from Lane's second term of service (1929-1932) when she returned to the Chingchao District, and contains photographs dated 1927-1932 and undated. Both albums include photographs of the people Lane worked with and those who participated in the programs Lane and the other missionaries provided. They are a rich sampling of North China before the Japanese occupation in 1937 and the Communist take-over in 1949. Much like the two albums, the scrapbook, along with the other photographs, include people Lane worked with, women and children who participated in various mission programs, and standard street scenes. There are also a few photographs of Lane. Of special interest in this series is a photograph of two very young children who had been sold by their parents for the sums of $1.00 U.S. and 20¢ U.S. Lane's description explains without judgment that the parents were starving. Another photograph is of a boy, age 7, and a girl, age 9, who were awarded their own Bibles after numerous flawless recitations. Lane's description reveals that the boy had been told he was too small to achieve such a feat but with unwavering determination he proved his elders wrong.

A copy of Ortha Lane’s autobiography Under Marching Orders in North China, published in 1971, is shelved with the Iowa Women’s Archives printed works.