The certificate in Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAM) Studies from Hollins University gives students from any major the opportunity to connect their studies with a potential career in one of these cultural heritage institutional fields: galleries, libraries, archives, and museums. In addition to coursework, students will complete two internships (or one internship and work-study) in an area of cultural heritage.
The program culminates with a capstone experience, which enables students to both share what they’ve learned through the program and create a project to showcase to potential employers and graduate schools. Because it is a certificate program, students can complete the requirements through careful choices in their general education courses and electives, without adding to the total credit hours required for the bachelor of arts degree.
The GLAM Studies certificate program will:
- Provide students an opportunity to explore potential careers in galleries, libraries, archives and museums, including preparation for a wide variety of graduate degree programs in the GLAM sector (such as Library and Information Science; Museum Studies; and Cultural Heritage Studies).
- Instill students with a passion and understanding for why cultural heritage organizations matter.
- Connect students to our strong alumnae/i network in the GLAM sector.
- Encourage students to analyze the primary role that GLAM organizations play in determining who and what is remembered in our society.
- Teach students to describe and employ standards and cultural sensitivities for interpreting and preserving cultural heritage materials
- Share with students approaches for making cultural heritage materials appropriately discoverable and accessible, including the identification of tools to bring a social justice and equity lens to responsibly manage the wide range of cultural heritage materials, from documents to art.
Internship Opportunities
Hollins provides internship opportunities across a wide range of cultural heritage organizations, such as:
- Wyndham Robertson Library, Hollins
- Eleanor D. Wilson Museum, Hollins
- Taubman Museum of Art (Roanoke)
- Historical Society of Western Virginia
- Science Museum of Western Virginia
- Roanoke City Public Libraries
- Roanoke County Public Libraries
- The Salem Museum
- Virginia Museum of Transportation
- DC Arts & Humanities Collaborative (Washington, D.C.)
- International Spy Museum (Washington, D.C.)
- Library of Congress (Washington, D.C.)
- Phillips Collection (Washington, D.C.)
- Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (Richmond, Va.)
- White House Historical Association (Washington, D.C.)
Capstone Experiences
Every student earning a GLAM Studies certificate works closely with a professional in the field to design and execute a project of their choosing in their junior or senior year. Projects have included:
- A user experience study of students navigating the newly renovated Wyndham Robertson Library
- An examination of the phenomenon of lost media digital archives
- An archival investigation of secret societies at Hollins
Each GLAM capstone student presents their work at a conference. Students have presented virtual and in-person poster sessions at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference, as well as at Hollins’ Student Performance and Research Conference (SPARC).