People in the News
Tricia Edwards has been named director of Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, effective Monday, April 20. Edwards served as interim director since September 2025. Prior to joining Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, Edwards served as deputy director of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and Smithsonian Affiliations (SITES | SA), where she provided executive leadership for strategic planning, development, and operations. From June 2024 to June 2025, she also served as interim director of SITES | SA. Earlier roles included deputy director for Smithsonian Affiliations and interim deputy director for exhibits, finance, and administration at SITES. Earlier in her Smithsonian career, Edwards spent twelve years as head of education at the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation at the National Museum of American History. During that time, she created Spark!Lab, a pioneering hands-on invention space for children that now operates in museums across the United States and internationally and launched an award-winning consumer product line under the Spark!Lab brand.
Kristen Merryman has been appointed head of the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center (NCDHC) at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill University Library. As head of the NCDHC, Merryman will lead the center’s work with historical and cultural organizations across the state to develop and implement digitization projects. She will guide the center’s strategy based on partner feedback, developments in digital librarianship, and institutional trends in North Carolina. Merryman will also work to build and expand relationships with stakeholders, peer organizations, and prospective partners. Merryman has served as interim head of the NCDHC since November 2025. She has worked with the center since 2016, first as digital projects librarian and then as digital projects and outreach manager. Prior to working at the NCDHC, Merryman held roles as a librarian at North Carolina State University Libraries and the Durham County Library.
Rachel Wishkoski has been appointed music librarian and head, arts and humanities, at the University of Washington Libraries.
Katherine Wyly is now business research and instruction librarian at the University of Washinton Bothell and Cascadia Campus Library.
People in the News listing is provided free of charge and is a great way to feature new appointments and personnel updates. Have yours featured in a future issue of C&RL News by emailing Editor-in-Chief David Free at dfree@ala.org.