What the Research Libraries Offer

The libraries' collections include general history books on Iowa and other states. Iowa local history materials include: city directories, plat maps, cemetery surveys, state gazeteers, trade catalogs,  and county and city histories. Materials are available on many subjects, including: agriculture, genealogy, woman suffrage, business,  the Civil War, railroad transportation, Iowa law and state documents, college and university catalogs, and biographies and memoirs of Iowans. A broad range of materials document social, economic, cultural and political life in Iowa.

Iowa serials include: The Palimpsest and Iowa Heritage Illustrated, The Goldfinch, The Annals of Iowa, The Iowa Historical Record, and The Iowa Journal of History and Politics. Genealogical serials include: The American Genealogist, The Genealogical Helper, National Genealogical Society Quarterly, and journals from various state genealogical organizations. The libraries also receive historical magazines from other states. In particular, the Iowa City library has the largest collection in the state of serials published in Iowa, and also possesses the largest collection in the state of journals published by other State Historical Societies.

Communities from across Iowa are represented in the Des Moines and Iowa City newspaper collections, which span the period from 1836 to the present. The collections include some foreign language and special interest newspapers published in Iowa.

Iowa census materials include: the 1840 through 1930 federal schedules; state census records for the years 1856, 1885, 1895, 1905,1915, and 1925; the soundex indexes for the 1880,1900, and 1920 federal censuses of Iowa are available in both Des Moines and Iowa City; mortality schedules are available for 1850,1860,1870, and 1880. Other censuses available include: social statistic, agricultural, industry schedules for 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880.

The State Archives in Des Moines contains records, created by state offices and agencies, which have been determined to have permanent historical value. With the exception of a few confidential records series, the State Archives is open for public use. Among the materials in this collection are: the Secretary of State Land Office's original land survey notes and plats of the state; Adjutant General's records of Iowa units serving in the Civil War and the Spanish-American War; Supreme Court records; and Iowa governors' papers. Microfilm of some State Archives records are available in Des Moines and Iowa City.

SHSI's manuscript collections contain original source materials that document Iowa's development and the experiences of its citizens. Included are: personal papers and records of organizations such as school, churches, clubs, businesses, and labor unions found in unpublished formats such as diaries, letters, account books, minute books, and personal reminiscences; collections of broadsides, programs, transcripts, sheet music, and advertisements; oral history recordings are available in Iowa City.

The photograph collections contain images reflecting the history of the state of Iowa, and the experiences of other Midwesterners. Photographic materials are arranged by standard subject headings, with cross-indexing to geographic location. Also available are: alphabetically arranged portrait files; collections of postcards, stereocards, and photo albums. If the condition of the original materials permits, you may obtain reproductions or photocopies of images. Price lists are available upon request. Film and video collections are also being acquired at both locations.

Among the library and archives collections are maps showing land ownership, railroad routes, coal mines, roads and highways, and plats of various communities. In addition, there is a large collection of fire insurance maps, 1874 to 1970, showing commercial, industrial, and residential layouts of more than 700 Iowa communities. Fire insurance maps are available on microfiche and microfilm.

Microfilm Collection

Census records are available for Iowa and other states (only in the Iowa City center). There are now two companies that sell microfilm of federal censuses not found in the SHSI libraries. Indexes are available for some census, as are maps to locate Iowa townships. Iowa county plat books (pre-1940), many Iowa city directories, Iowa newspapers, and archive records are available on microfilm.

The collection includes: single issues of Iowa newspapers; fire insurance maps of Iowa towns from the SHSI collection, the State Archives, and the University of Iowa Libraries; and Civil War histories, National Register of Historic Places nomination papers; and Western Americana series (in Iowa City).

See Conditions for Image Reproduction and Copyright Notice.