IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) - A judge has ruled the State Historical Society must stop removing material from its Iowa City facility.

The ruling comes after historians and donors sued the Historical Society for closing its Iowa City research facility and archives. The lawsuit argued the facility was being closed without public input and the move violates Iowa Code.

The Save Iowa History Coalition expressed concerns about materials getting moved to unspecified locations due to the lack of space at the Des Moines location. This increases the risk of historical items getting destroyed by a disaster.

The building was set to close in 2026. Earlier this month, items were being packed up to move to Des Moines.

The judge’s injunction says the Historical Society cannot move any more documents or

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