(270) A cross-university collaboration to revive and reimagine a history of pharmacy museum.

Objective : The Marvin Samson Museum for the History of Pharmacy was established in 1996 at the University of the Sciences (USciences), home to the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (PCP). For approximately 20 years the museum was open and had multiple events and exhibits. In 2016, staffing cuts caused the museum to go dormant. In 2022, USciences (and PCP) merged into Saint Joseph’s University (SJU). The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the ongoing collaboration to revive the museum.

Methods: In the fall of 2022, the Dean of PCP, the Chair of the Department of History, and the Director of the Libraries teamed up to work on the project. In January, 2023 they secured resources to hire a part-time collections manager/assistant curator and a part-time museum cataloger. Project goals include: preserving, protecting, cataloging, and displaying the collection; providing educational benefits through internships, class visits, and course assignments; and hosting events for alumni, donors, and University and Philadelphia communities.

Results: The project has overseen 22 student interns, received two grants, and revived the gallery with new exhibitions. Project staff established a collection management system and to date have cataloged 2,354 items with approximately 7,000 remaining. The museum has hosted several alumni reunion and community events. Future plans include completing the collection inventory, launching a website, creating a cohesive curatorial program, securing additional funding, and offering more educational and community programming. Challenges include securing staff positions and finding long-term secure storage for the collection.

Conclusions: Close collaboration and teamwork between PCP, the library, and the History Department at SJU has created a unique opportunity to revive this museum.