Mary Bennett weaves effortlessly through a sprawling maze of two-tiered 8-foot-high shelves, pulling open drawers to reveal “treasures,” such as a UI student’s lab notebook from 1897 and an Iowa football poster from 1904.
The 55-year-old has worked among the relics of Iowa’s past for 35 years as special-collections coordinator for the State Historical Society’s library.
But Bennett’s “home away from home,” a two-story brick building on Iowa Avenue, might not house Iowa’s historical documents much longer. After recent suggestions from Iowa legislators on a statewide reorganization panel, the documents could move to another location.
“The [collections] here are incredibly rich,” Bennett said, and the library stores thousands of newspapers, diaries, letters, and scrapbooks dating back to the 1800s. “It never gets boring. … That’s why I fell in love with it.”
Rep. Mary Mascher, D-Iowa City, said the State Government Reorganization Commission is examining all areas of state government to become more efficient and save money.
Officials are looking to see if there is overlap between certain boards and other organizations, including libraries, said Mascher, who co-chairs the commission. If the group can identify overlaps, she said, it would try to merge the organizations.
The Historical Library, which houses two floors of both published and unpublished resources, is one of the two libraries in the state subject to such merging.
If the commission decides to merge libraries, the Historical Society’s materials would be added to the UI Libraries, Mascher said.
“At this time what we’re doing is just asking questions and identifying what is being done at the University Libraries and what is being done at the State Historical Library,” Mascher said. “[We’re looking] at whether they can do them under one roof.”
But Bennett, who took the job as special-collections coordinator in 1974 when she was a UI undergraduate student, said she sees a difference between the two collections.
“The reason that [the Historical Library] is a little different from just the university is that we represent the entire state,” Bennett said. “We have a million and a half photographs [and] 3,000 maps. … We’re really a statewide organization.”
In addition to looking for overlap, Mascher noted the building’s condition is also a big part of the possible move.
But she promised the libraries would not close.
“There’s a rumor out there that [closing] is what we’re discussing — that isn’t part of the discussion at all,” she said. “The building itself is not in great shape. Obviously, we want the collection to be utilized and be preserved.”
While Mascher said she sees the importance of the library’s resources to UI students, Bennett said it’s an asset to the entire community — from grade school to college and beyond.
“It’s history in our own backyard,” Bennett said. “This is really a treasure-trove of Iowa history.”