University of Iowa Libraries Special Collections & Archives

08/27/2026

We were saddened to learn of the passing of Dave Morice, also known as Dr. Alphabet. A University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop alum and longtime Iowa City resident, Dave was a prolific artist and poet, helping to found the Actualist poetry movement in the 1970s. Through his work as an artist and a teacher, he helped bring the avant-garde to Iowa City. The University Libraries are fortunate to have Dave Morice’s papers, as well as a large collection of his published works. Included in the collection is the 10,000-page bound volume of poetry written by Dave during a poetry marathon that took place in 2010. The book contains 100 different 100-page poems, written over a period of 100 days, and is possibly the thickest book ever printed.

Dave will be greatly missed, and we’re thankful for his contributions to art, literature, and the Iowa City community.

08/21/2026

We loved working with these students and had a blast when they came to visit!

08/21/2026

When life gives you corn sweat, make corn husk dolls! These “corn folk” were created by Bertha Shambaugh in the 1920s, and several of them were exhibited at the 1926 World’s Fair!

Shambaugh Family Papers, RG99.0152

08/19/2026

We are happy to announce Anna Holland as the Iowa Women’s Archives’ new curator! Anna is an Iowa woman through and through. She was raised in Bettendorf and attended the University of Iowa, where she earned a master’s degree in library and information science and a certificate in book studies.
 
Anna has been working in the Iowa Women’s Archives since 2015. She has grown in her knowledge of Iowa women’s history and archival science in her previous positions at IWA: graduate assistant, processing archivist, associate curator, and interim curator. She considers IWA a gem of the university and looks forward to extending its legacy far into the future.

08/11/2026

For the latest in our Students Investigate series, student worker and Classics Masters student Noah Jedlicka solves the mystery surrounding our cuneiform tablet. Click the link to read what he discovered.

Students Investigate: UI Archives help solve an ancient mystery Posted byElizabeth RiordanJuly 30, 2026July 30, 2026Posted inCollection Connection, Students Investigate, University ArchivesTags:clay tablet, Department of Classics, Noah Jedlicka, President Macbride, student workers This series featur...

08/06/2026

Attention University of Iowa graduate students!

Special Collections and Archives is hiring for two new positions: Maps Collection Support Student Lead and Outreach Library Support Student Lead.

If you have a passion for maps or an interest in outreach and social media, check out these job postings on Handshake!

07/31/2026

Although we cannot project the films we hold in IWA, using a lightbox helps us describe them and prioritize them for digitization. Here, you can see Preservation Reformatting Librarian Katie teaching IWA student Christian to use the lightbox with film from the Dieman-Bennett Dance Theatre of the Hemispheres records.

07/28/2026

Today we want to send a big Happy 160th birthday to Beatrix Potter! 
 
What an unforgettable celebration we had last week to honor her and her work. 
 
The celebration included an adorable tea party, insightful and informative talks, a fabulous open house featuring rare books and delightful art by local artist Melissa Arp, and Beatrix Potter herself telling us all her story. 
 
Thank you to The Beatrix Potter Society The Beatrix Potter Society and Iowa City Public Library ICPL for partnering with us, and to everyone else who made this day happen.

07/17/2026

Get ready for tomorrow’s celebration of Beatrix Potter! Take our quiz to see which character you are and let us know in the comments.

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