DES MOINES – The State Historical Society of Iowa and the University of Iowa have announced a new agreement that will maintain public access to the state’s historical collections. Public access will now be maintained by the University of Iowa Libraries.

Under the newly established memorandum of understanding, members of the public will be able to access select historical documents and images from the State Historical Society’s collection. Requests can be made to SHSI starting Jan. 1, 2026.

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. The focus enables a mechanism to logistically streamline access to select materials from the State Historical Society’s Archival collections.

Leaders from both institutions say the agreement facilitates access to the State Historical Society’s collections.

Requested collections will be available during UI Special Collections and Archives Reading Room hours (M-F, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m), with access guidelines provided by SHSI. Additional details, including the process for requesting materials, will soon be posted to both institution’s websites.