Snell, Samantha
Collections Management Specialist
0009-0007-4849-3077
Snell, Samantha
Collections Management Specialist
I am a collections steward who strives to encourage collaboration and communication between disciplines to support collections care. My areas of interest are collections emergency management, professional development, sustainability in collections care, and mentoring the next generation of cultural heritage stewards.
Positions
- Collections Management Specialist, Smithsonian Institution National Collections Program 2016 -
- Collections Manager, Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum 2000 - 2016
Background And Education
Education And Training
- B.A. in History, Moravian College , Minor Elementary Education 1994 - 1998
Professional Biography
- Samantha is the Collections Management Specialist for the Smithsonian Institution’s National Collections Program (NCP). In this position, she works to improve Smithsonian-wide collections emergency management and collections management professional development training as well as to support other priority pan-Institutional collections initiatives. Prior to joining NCP in 2016, Sam had a 15 year career at the Smithsonian’s National Air And Space Museum’s collections department. During her tenure at NASM, she worked on numerous projects that spanned various units within the Museum – from the documentation, transportation, handling, and installation of artifacts at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center with the Registrars and Collections Processing Unit to stabilizing artifacts alongside Restoration and Conservation staff. Samantha played a key role in coordinating the artifact recovery efforts after the Building 21 collapse at the Paul E. Garber Facility in 2010. She earned her BA from Moravian College, Bethlehem PA, and is a former member of the AIC Emergency Committee, C2CCare working group, and CCN Communication and Outreach Officer. Samantha is currently a member of the Association for Registrars and Collections Specialists and the Heritage Emergency National Task Force.
Publications
Selected Publications
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Article
- Hirsch, Jeffrey, Martin, Cali, Miller, Melissa, and Snell, Samantha. 2024. "Focus Issue: Promoting Exhibit Access and Safety: Guest Editors’ Foreword." Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archives Professionals, 20, (2) 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1177/15501906241236855. 2024
- PEAS Resources, Team:, Elston, Sarah, Eng, Ronald, Falquero, Kelsey, Herrmann, Jennifer, Kim, Dong Eun, Miller, Melissa, Snell, Samantha, Snider, Julianne, Stritzinger, Allaire, and Whiteman, Gina. 2024. "Promoting Exhibit Access and Safety (PEAS): Listening and Learning Sessions." Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archives Professionals, https://doi.org/10.1177/15501906241234044. 2024
- Hawks, Catharine, Kennedy, Tara D., Makos, Kathryn, Marigza, Anne, Miller, Melissa, and Snell, Samantha. 2023. "Focus Issue: Safety and Cultural Heritage Summit: A Review of Hazard Identification and Risk Mitigation 2016–2021." Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archives Professionals, https://doi.org/10.1177/15501906231167576. 2023
Affiliation
Member Of
- Association of Registrars and Collections Specialists member 2022 -
Contact
Location
- National Collections Program Department
