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Personal finance for cultural heritage workers
What is GLAM?
What is GLAM?
The acronym GLAM refers to galleries, libraries, archives, and museums, institutions in the cultural heritage sector dedicated to maintaining the material and immaterial records of societies, cultures, and the natural world. These institutions use various means such as collecting artifacts and records, preserving and disseminating knowledge, engaging the public via exhibition and educational or community programming, and other activities to fulfill their missions. The cultural heritage sector is broader than GLAM, however, and it includes any initiative focused on preserving the legacy of a society. Examples include community-based programs like artist-run spaces and grassroots projects, and programs that promote the preservation and study of traditions or languages specific to a group.
GLAM Money
GLAM Money
GLAM Money was formed to encourage people working in the cultural heritage sector to develop their personal finance skills. As workers in these professional communities are faced with layoffs, furloughs, jobs being eliminated, project and grant funding vanishing and more, financial literacy is more important than ever.
Our employers don't care about us as much as we care about the collections we steward, so as GLAM workers, our own sustainability is vital to the cultural heritage we strive to preserve. Job satisfaction is about more than money, but a solid financial footing allows us to effectively participate in change that will benefit our colleagues, our collections, and our respective fields at large. (Shout out to unions!) While there are many factors outside of our control, GLAM Money focuses on what is within our control.
If you are seeking assistance, please check out the Resources.
Gorgeous Money for GLAMorous People
Issue #1: Be Above Vulgar Economy
Issue #1 is an introduction to personal finance topics, and advocates for cultural heritage workers to think about money skills as tools or resources for curating their life. This issue covers identifying your personal values, tracking spending and net worth, creating a debt-payoff plan, and an introduction to saving and investing.
About the subtitle: "We will be above vulgar economy" was a phrase used by Jane Austen in a letter to her sister Cassandra in 1808 regarding an upcoming social engagement and planned expenses. Later, around 1863, Karl Marx used "vulgar economy" to describe the superficial and exploitive nature of capitalism in his writings, which were collected after his death and published as Theories of Surplus Value. I use “vulgar economy” here to refer to a careless approach towards money; one that is haphazard in personal money management, engages in thoughtless spending and dismisses the benefits of financial stability. I believe that how one values their money and stewards it is as important as what they earn.
How to get a copy:
Physical and digital copies of Gorgeous Money For GLAMorous People Issue #1 are available at my Buy Me a Coffee page (go to Shop). I'm selling the zine to help offset printing and shipping costs. Donations are also welcome to support these expenses.
Digital copies: $4 - Immediate download.
Physical copies: $8 - After you order you'll be prompted to share your mailing address. Your zine will be mailed within about 2-3 weeks of ordering.
Alternatives:
Alternative 1! Are you under-employed or experiencing financial struggles right now? Send me an email and I'll send you digital copy of the zine for free. No need to go into detail. Any personal information shared will be protected. Email info [at] glam-money [dot] com.
Alternative 2! Make a donation of any amount to a non-profit or mutual aid fund and send me a copy of the receipt. I'll send you a digital copy of the zine for free. (Donations to GLAM-based initiatives are encouraged but I'm also a sucker for no-kill animal shelters and pet adoption centers.) Email the proof of donation to info [at] glam-money [dot] com.
Alternative 3! Find me at a conference or other gathering. This may be challenging since travel budgets have been cut across the board, but if we meet in person, I'm happy to give you zine if I have one on hand or I'll email you a digital copy later if I don't.
⭐ Seeking Contributions for Future Issues!
⭐ Seeking Contributions for Future Issues!
Gorgeous Money for GLAMorous People Issue #1 introduces some basics on personal finance but there is so much more to dive into. Financial stress and work stress are isolating, but we can build community through sharing our experiences with one another.
Write an article or submit a personal reflection for the zine.
Write an article or submit a personal reflection for the zine.
I started GLAM Money and Gorgeous Money for GLAMorous People knowing other perspectives and experiences would make it truly valuable. For the upcoming issues of the zine, I invite cultural heritage workers to contribute informational articles and personal reflections on the topics listed below. (Or propose another!) Submissions can be as identified or anonymous as the author prefers. Email info [at] glam-money [dot] com to propose a submission.
⭐ I'm a straight, white, millennial woman living in the US—pretty much the GLAM cultural majority. If you're none (or some) of those things, I'm especially interested in hearing from you.
⭐ Did you read the zine and discover you disagree with me on something? Maybe many things? I would love to include your viewpoint in a future issue.
Other topics:
Labor and salary history in GLAM
Student loans and PSLF
Negotiating salary and benefits
Working as a freelancer or contractor in GLAM
Insurance
Mortgages and other loans
Medical expenses
Tax strategies
Childcare
Starting a business/Being an entrepreneur in GLAM
Establishing a collection outside an institution
Being an GLAM-trained person working a non-GLAM job
Sudden job loss in GLAM (furlough, job elimination, government shutdown)
Negotiating bills and service rates
Experience with grant funding
Financial independence
... or anything you'd like to propose!
Other places to contribute stories and reflections
Other places to contribute stories and reflections
The Archival Workers Collective is a loose grassroots collective of archivists who are committed to supporting the archivists and the archival profession. They are currently gathering stories about the impacts of the Trump Administration on archives and archival workers.
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