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Historians, archivists want ‘special master’ to investigate undoing of State Historical Society in Iowa City
‘There is a substantial risk that irreplaceable historical materials will be lost, damaged, or rendered inaccessible’
Oct. 20, 2025 5:01 pm, Updated: Oct. 21, 2025 7:20 am
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IOWA CITY — Historians, archivists, donors, and community members suing to prevent closure of the State Historical Society’s Iowa City research facility — and get the state to return materials already removed — now are seeking a “special master” to protect the “uniquely sensitive and irreplaceable” collections.
“A special master would be able to report to the court on the status of the collections remaining in the Iowa City Research Library, what materials were transferred, their status and location, and could supervise the safe return of those materials to the Iowa City facility,” petitioners wrote in their request a Johnson County judge appoint a special master — filed Friday in Johnson County Court.
A judge has not yet ruled on that motion or the group’s Sept. 26 request for a temporary injunction — which, if granted, would compel return of all collections, documents, and artifacts “wrongfully moved from the Iowa City Research Library” and prevent more from being relocated pending resolution of the lawsuit to stop the closure altogether.
In anticipation of a ruling, petitioners argued for the need of a special master — given the state’s “complete abandonment of archival best practices in their current efforts in moving materials from the Iowa City Research Library.”
“A special master to be put in charge of the return of these materials to Iowa City is necessary to ensure that all collections, documents, and artifacts are present and accounted for, are transferred safely, and — should any damage have been caused by (the state’s) actions — to take immediate steps to repair or otherwise care for those damaged materials to prevent further harm to petitioners’ interests and Iowa’s rich historical record,” according to the motion for a special master.
The state announced the Iowa City closure June 17 — without warning or prior notice — and the group of 17 archivists, historians, donors, and community members sued to stop it Sept. 26 — with a judge days later on Sept. 30 setting an Oct. 14 hearing on the group’s request for temporary injunction.
Despite that upcoming hearing, the state Oct. 1 began removing materials “in earnest” — compelling a letter from the petitioners asking they stop until the court reviewed the matter. Ignoring that request, the state since has removed “a large number of artifacts and collections using untrained prison-inmate laborers, hauling the materials in unmarked and rental trucks, presumably to Des Moines.”
‘Irreparable harm’
Lacking a “comprehensive plan,” petitioners questioned whether the state even knows “what exactly of the Iowa City collections have been removed, what remain, whether the collections have been kept together, or whether the collections are undamaged.”
“If the closure and relocation actions proceed while the lawfulness of the decision is being litigated, there is a substantial risk that irreplaceable historical materials will be lost, damaged, or rendered inaccessible,” retired State Historical Society librarian and archivist Mary Josephine Bennett wrote in an affidavit. “This would cause irreparable harm to researchers like myself and to the broader academic and public communities that rely on the Iowa City Research Library.”
From a donor’s perspective, UI professor emeritus of history Shelton Stromquist pointed to the church records donated by the Religious Society of Friends “on the express promise that these materials would be available to this Iowa City religious community in perpetuity.”
“The church needs access to their records for their yearly and monthly meetings, and now has no idea where to go to view them or whether the records are even together or whether they have been destroyed,” according to the special master request.
Former Melbourne Mayor Bill Crews in an affidavit expressed concern that politically sensitive materials might be targeted or lost in the shuffle of records from the shuttered Iowa City office to Des Moines.
Crews — who is using the Iowa City library to write his memoir — supported the need for a neutral party “ to locate those politically sensitive historical records that are at risk of being destroyed or treated carelessly and lost or damaged.”
Nine reasons
In sum, the state’s decision to close the Iowa City facility and start moving documents has created “a situation of extraordinary complexity, urgency, and risk.”
“The combination of legal violations, procedural irregularities, and threats to the integrity of Iowa’s historical record constitute no fewer than nine exceptional factual conditions that might well not be effectively and timely addressed by the court, acting alone, without the assistance of a neutral expert.”
- First, the state closed the facility without public consultation or a plan — in violation of Iowa Code;
- Second, removal of materials has been done in a manner violating archival standards and best practices;
- Third, the complexity and volume of the collections requires special master oversight;
- Fourth, the state’s actions and lack of communication has created uncertainty about the location, condition, and completeness of the collections;
- Fifth, the state has shown a “pattern of disregard for archival standards and donor relations”;
- Sixth, the political sensitivity of some materials requires special oversight;
- Seventh, the state’s “failure to comply with legal obligations and archival standards has created a situation that cannot be remedied through ordinary judicial supervision alone”;
- Eighth, a special master will conserve judicial resources;
- Ninth, a special master will restore public trust.
Duties and powers
Petitioners propose the special master — an expert in historical libraries, archival standards, donor relations, and institutional compliance — should be authorized to do the following:
- Conduct a full inventory of collections still at the Iowa City facility;
- Investigate which collections or materials are missing;
- Identify where the materials have been taken and bring them back;
- Assess the condition of those materials;
- Review donor agreements and archival standards and the state’s compliance;
- Interview staff, volunteers, and donors;
- Submit written reports every month;
- And recommend corrective action.
The motion asks they be allowed to submit proposed names for special master and that all costs be billed to the state.
Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.
Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com
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