Iowa’s historical journal is looking for a new publisher after having a home within the state government for 163 years. The State Historical Society of Iowa, which is part of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services, confirmed that it will stop editing the publication July 1, 2026.
A spokesperson for the Department of Administrative Services says the decision was made due to an “increasingly lean staff.”
The Annals of Iowa is currently edited by Andrew Klumpp, who also manages programming for the State Historical Society and is the director of the Iowa Humanities Council.
Iowa State University History Professor Pamela Riney-Kehrberg has been affiliated with the Annals for 30 years. She was blindsided by the decision.
“This is the only outlet for really serious study of the state of Iowa,” Riney-Kehrberg said. “If you're trying to get something that's locally focused, something that's state focused, into a major historical journal, they're probably not going to publish it.”
Riney-Kehrberg said she uses articles from the Annals to teach her students about Iowa history.
She doesn’t understand why the decision was made. Authors submit articles, edited documents and other annotated, unpublished primary materials on Iowa history to the Annals, which are then selected and edited by Klumpp — a “one person shop,” according to Riney-Kehrberg.
She also doesn’t believe the journal has any significant economic impact on the state. The cost of printing the Annals is largely covered by subscriptions and memberships to the State Historical Society.
The Department of Administrative Services spokesperson said it's open to continuing as publisher and copyright holder. The subscription base is steady at nearly 300 people, with an additional 100 Society members who receive the journal as a member benefit.
“It's a very even-handed journal. It's not political in the least. It is scholarly,” Riney-Kehrberg said.
