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What is the Charleston Conference?
Erin:
The Charleston Conference is my favorite library conference, and it was the first conference I attended professionally back in 2011. It stands out among the many library conferences for a lot of reasons: itās focused on acquisitions and collection management; it allows librarians, vendors, and publishers to really learn and engage with sessions equally; and itās held in lovely Charleston, South Carolina every year.
Sheri:
The conference is an annual meeting that occurs over the course of a few days, and itās a chance for librarians, researchers, publishers, and vendor representatives to gather and discuss various aspects of library and publishing worlds. The conference includes a research component, where various attendees share findings of research projects, updates on research, and discussion sessions. This year, open access (OA) publishing was a āhotā topic, which is as it is currently in academic libraries and publisher & vendor environments.
What Was Your Experience?
Erin:
This year, we had record attendance with over 2,000 folks coming from all over the world. That sounds like a lot, but it doesnāt feel like a ābigā conference. By the end of the week it feels more like a small town with various neighbors you run into from session to session. I went to as many sessions as possible, but my main goal is to meet with our vendor and publisher representatives.
Sheri:
This is the second Charleston Conference Iāve attended, and I thought it was great! Typically, I communicate with publishers and vendor representatives by way of email or Zoom, but at the Conference, I am able to meet with people in person; itās always nice to see a smiling face and a hearty handshake to go with a name! I also like that the Conference was well-attended. I enjoy meeting people and trading stories about our daily work lives, and exchanging ideas about accomplishing daily tasks in ways we hadnāt thought of. Also, part of the Conference takes place in Charlestonās Francis Marion Hotel, which reminds of the hotel hallways in the movie āThe Shining,ā so thatās fun, too!
Was There Anything You Learned That You Would Like to Share?
Erin:
A major takeaway this time is that library folks are starting to question the success and value of open access models. We in libraries are investing more and more materials funds toward making research openly accessible immediately on publication. We still want to move in this direction, but weāre miffed at how the big commercial publishers are profiting tremendously from these models. Also, weāre all curious about artificial intelligence and what it means for our future, but no one seems to have answers. I know I donāt!
Sheri:
I learned a lot, but two things stood out: I attended a discussion that presented a scale for communicating with vendors, which was really interesting and enlightening. I also ālearnedā that, beginning with next yearās conference, Iāll be attending research presentations and discussions on topics that are barely familiar or unfamiliar to me outright, as Iād like to enrich my learning further, and bring back new ideas and points of discussion to my team and department.
Any Anecdotes?
Erin:
The big conference reception was at the South Carolina Aquarium and it was a blast. I met a lot of aquatic creatures and learned that bald eagles will always win a staring contest.
Sheri:
I brought with me a cosmetic bag that has a āBlueberries for Salā imprint (which is a book from way back geared toward toddlers learning to read). I was outside the Hotelās Starbucks and someone referred to the bag very fondly, and we wound up talking for a little while about books we enjoyed when we were kids. It was a fun conversation and reminded me that there is a time for logistical and practical business discussions, and a time for an impromptu and meandering chat with a total stranger! |
