Director

We are pleased to announce that Tricia Edwards has been appointed director of Smithsonian Libraries and Archives (SLA), effective Monday, April 20, 2026. Tricia has served as interim director since September 2025, leading one of the Smithsonian’s most vital scholarly and public resources.

SLA comprises 20 library branches and reading rooms and stewards nearly 3 million library volumes and more than 44,000 cubic feet of archival materials documenting the Smithsonian’s history and supporting research across the Institution.

Previously, Tricia served as deputy director of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and Smithsonian Affiliations (SITES | SA), including a term as interim director from June 2024 to June 2025. Her earlier leadership roles at SITES included deputy director for Smithsonian Affiliations and interim deputy director for exhibits, finance and administration.

Earlier in her Smithsonian career, Tricia spent 12 years as head of education at the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation at the National Museum of American History, where she founded Spark!Lab, a groundbreaking hands-on invention space for children now operating nationally and internationally. She also launched an award-winning consumer product line under the Spark!Lab brand.

Before joining the Smithsonian, Tricia led education programs at the Baltimore Museum of Industry, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and the Delaware Museum of Natural History. Her career began in early childhood education as a preschool teacher, grounding her lifelong focus on learning and public engagement.