Research

The State Historical Society of Iowa’s collection encompasses more than 209 million pieces of history, including artifacts and materials from the society’s museum, library, archives and special collections.

Our Iowa History Collections Catalog features all of the records of the State Historical Society of Iowa holdings that are currently open to the public, including historical documents, genealogical records, newspapers, photos, artifact images and more. Additionally, the state archives comprise records that have been produced from government functions and activities.

The online catalog includes general descriptions of records as well as hierarchical descriptions of more detailed groups of materials. Users can search the catalog by using a wide variety of search keywords (including titles, authors, subjects and dates) and filters (such as collection, location or media format). For some collections, search results may yield only basic information, but the State Historical Society of Iowa staff is constantly adding new entries and improving existing records, so please check back often. Additional descriptions and details to aid researchers are added as time and staffing permit.

For help using these records and collections, please contact our reference staff.

Iowa History Collections Catalog

Getting Started

Additional Resources

Library and Manuscript Catalog hosted by the University of Iowa