In 1937, with the support of the National Catholic Welfare Conference, Noll formed the National Organization for Decent Literature (NODL). Using The Acolyte as the official NODL publication, he began to publish lists of periodicals which he, or his appointed readers, had determined to be indecent. Local NODL chapters were formed in most diocese with instructions from Noll on how to organize the campaign and gain the cooperation of local newsstands and distributors. Publishers who wanted their magazines to be taken off the NODL list had to negotiate with Noll and later with the group's Washington representative, who directed the NODL Washington office with the cooperation of the National Council of Catholic Men.

The NODL records in the Noll papers consist of Noll's general correspondence; records of the Washington, D.C. office, the Detroit Diocesan chapter (a particularly active chapter organized under the name The League for Clean Reading), and other diocesan chapters; and subject files. The records include correspondence, lists of banned publications, reports from local chapters, newspaper clippings on the group's activities, examples of the literature being considered, and press releases, clippings, and legal papers concerning the suspension of mailing privileges for some periodicals by Postmaster General Frank Walker. Correspondents include Noll, Edward J. Heffron of the Washington office, Raymond A. Cameron of the Detroit chapter, publishers, members of the Catholic hierarchy, and local NODL organizers. Subjects discussed include revisions of the list of banned publications, the content of these publications, strategies for gaining the cooperation of local newsstands and regional distributors, and the activities of local chapters.

• CNOL 3/03-24 Group : NODL General Correspondence 1934-1955
• CNOL 3/25-32 Group : NODL Washington D.C. Office, Correspondence 1941
• CNOL 3/33 Folder : NODL Washington D.C. Office, Reports and Minutes c1942-1948
• CNOL 3/34 Folder : League for Clean Reading, Archdiocese of Detroit 1938-1941
• CNOL 4/01 Folder : Albany Diocese
• CNOL 4/02 Folder : Alexandria Diocese
• CNOL 4/03 Folder : Amarillo Diocese
• CNOL 4/04 Folder : Baltimore Diocese
• CNOL 4/05 Folder : Brooklyn Diocese
• CNOL 4/06 Folder : Belleville Diocese
• CNOL 4/07 Folder : Burlington Diocese
• CNOL 4/08 Folder : Camden Diocese
• CNOL 4/09 Folder : Cheyenne Diocese
• CNOL 4/10 Folder : Chicago Diocese
• CNOL 4/11 Folder : Cincinnati Diocese
• CNOL 4/12 Folder : Cleveland Diocese
• CNOL 4/13 Folder : Columbus Diocese
• CNOL 4/14 Folder : Concordia Diocese
• CNOL 4/15 Folder : Covington Diocese
• CNOL 4/16 Folder : Crookston Diocese
• CNOL 4/17 Folder : Dallas Diocese
• CNOL 4/18 Folder : Davenport Diocese
• CNOL 4/19 Folder : Denver Diocese
• CNOL 4/20 Folder : Des Moines Diocese
• CNOL 4/21 Folder : Detroit Diocese
• CNOL 4/22 Folder : Dubuque Diocese
• CNOL 4/23 Folder : Duluth Diocese
• CNOL 4/24 Folder : El Paso Diocese
• CNOL 4/25 Folder : Erie Diocese
• CNOL 4/26 Folder : Fall River Diocese
• CNOL 4/27 Folder : Fort Wayne Diocese
• CNOL 4/28 Folder : Fresno Diocese
• CNOL 4/29 Folder : Grand Island Diocese
• CNOL 4/30 Folder : Great Falls Diocese
• CNOL 4/31 Folder : Helena Diocese
• CNOL 4/32 Folder : Indianapolis Diocese
• CNOL 4/33 Folder : Kansas City Diocese
• CNOL 4/34 Folder : Lacrosse Diocese
• CNOL 4/35 Folder : Lafayette Diocese
• CNOL 4/36 Folder : Leavenworth Diocese
• CNOL 4/37 Folder : Little Rock Diocese
• CNOL 4/38 Folder : Los Angeles Diocese
• CNOL 4/39 Folder : Louisville Diocese
• CNOL 4/40 Folder : Manchester Diocese
• CNOL 4/41 Folder : Marquette Diocese
• CNOL 4/42 Folder : Milwaukee Diocese
• CNOL 4/43 Folder : Mobile Diocese
• CNOL 4/44 Folder : Monterey Diocese
• CNOL 4/45 Folder : Nashville Diocese
• CNOL 4/46 Folder : Natchez Diocese
• CNOL 4/47 Folder : New York Diocese
• CNOL 4/48 Folder : New Orleans Diocese
• CNOL 4/49 Folder : Newark Diocese
• CNOL 4/50 Folder : Ogdensburg Diocese
• CNOL 4/51 Folder : Oklahoma City Diocese
• CNOL 4/52 Folder : Omaha City Diocese
• CNOL 4/53 Folder : Paterson Diocese
• CNOL 4/54 Folder : Philadelphia Diocese
• CNOL 4/55 Folder : Pittsburgh Diocese
• CNOL 4/56 Folder : Portland Diocese (Maine)
• CNOL 4/57 Folder : Providence Diocese