Historical Society reaches deal with University of Iowa to offer access to Iowa City research materials

IOWA CITY — Amid pending litigation, displaced collections and a public fight to maintain the Iowa City arm of the State Historical Society, officials on Friday announced a new collaboration to maintain public access to the historical collections at the University of Iowa.

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Under a breakthrough memorandum of understanding between the State Historical Society of Iowa and UI, members of the public going forward can access “select historical documents and images” by submitting a request, according a news release.

“The agreement is similar to an interlibrary loan in practice, where requested materials will move from one repository to another upon request from a researcher or member of the public for a limited and defined period of time,” according to the Historical Society. “The focus enables a mechanism to logistically streamline access to select materials from the State Historical Society’s Archival collections.”

Requests can be made to the historical society beginning Jan. 1 — following the official closure of the state’s Iowa City Research Center on Dec. 31.

Per the arrangement, requested collections will be made available during UI Special Collections and Archives Reading Room hours — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

News of a UI-Historical Society deal comes months after the June 17 surprise announcement of the Iowa City center’s closure — met by outrage from a network of local historians, archivists, professors, donors, and community members.

A group of 17 petitioners in September filed a lawsuit angling to block the closure and halt any document removal. A judge in October ordered the state to stop removing historical material from the 168-year-old Iowa City facility pending a final decision on the case.

“In considering the likelihood of success on the merits needs only to look to the plain language of the statute, and the actions of the defendant,” Sixth Judicial District Judge Kevin McKeever wrote, citing Iowa Code Section 8A 707.2, which requires the department to maintain research centers in Des Moines and Iowa City. “The plain language of the statute does not appear to make maintaining a research center in Iowa City optional.”

The Iowa Department of Administrative Services has pre-filed legislation that, if passed by the Iowa Legislature and signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds, would strike from state law a requirement that Iowa maintain historical resource research centers in both Des Moines and Iowa City.

The judge in the case also noted the plaintiffs have shown a likelihood of “irreparable harm absent the issuance of an injunction.”

But he sided with the state in its argument the petitioners were procedurally out of order and should first have sought an administrator declaratory order before filing a lawsuit.

“It is further ordered that prior to seeking any further orders from the District Court, the plaintiff shall officially petition the agency for a declaratory order,” McKeever wrote. “Pending an outcome of the petition for declaratory order, further proceedings in this matter are suspended.”

The petitioners at the end of October filed that request for a declaratory order and are waiting on a ruling out of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services.

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com