Conferencegoers in the lobby of the Francis Marion Hotel, November 12 Photo credit: Ellie Burnage

When thinking of how to best sum up this year’s Charleston Conference, held November 11–15 and available to view online December 9–13 (along with exclusive “online only” sessions), one word sprung to mind: collaboration. As a first-time attendee from a publishing technology background—I am head of marketing and publisher operations at Exact Editions—it was wonderful to see so many professionals from the worlds of libraries and publishing come together to tackle challenges that are affecting the entire information industry, such as open access models and artificial intelligence (AI). The main feeling evident throughout the conference was that the Charleston team had once again fostered a warm, collaborative environment where productive connections are made — I expected nothing less from watching the conference from afar in previous years.

Each day’s agenda was packed with insightful sessions that engendered important discussions. I’ve selected a standout session from each day to report on, as well as some personal highlights.

DAY 1: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12

We headed to the Francis Marion hotel, a primary venue for the conference since 2009, for registration and to get prepared for the week ahead. The lobby was full of activity as delegates picked up their badges (which could be personalized with useful extra tags such as “First Timer” or the not-so-useful but entertaining “I’m Only Here for the Snacks!”).

The major event on Tuesday was the Vendor Showcase, with over 140 vendor tables filling the Grand Ballroom of the Gaillard Center. The crowds were bustling as we made our way through the room, loud with the chatter of conversation (encouraged by the delicious buffet lunch and impressive dessert tower).

Standout Vendor: Katina Magazine

This year’s conference tied in with the launch of Charleston Hub’s new venture: Katina Magazine, a digital publication that addresses the value of librarians to society and elevates their role as trusted stewards of knowledge. Named after Katina Strauch, who founded the conference in 1980, the three main areas it will cover are “Resource Reviews,” “Open Knowledge,” and “The Future of Work.”

Graphic illustrated board at the Gaillard Center, November 12 Photo credit: Ellie Burnage

Highlight: The Charleston Hub and Katina Magazine teams encouraged delegates to answer the question, “What is your wish for the future of libraries?” Responses were translated into graphic illustrations on a large board to create a visual tapestry of wishes from the community, with answers such as “technology-driven spaces,” “international partnerships between librarians and vendors,” and “fighting misinformation.”

DAY 2: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13

The official conference began on Wednesday, kicking off with an impressive and well-attended keynote led by two titans of their industries: Strauch and publishing executive Richard Charkin. Each reflected on their respective careers, making for an interesting discussion about how and why the library and publishing spheres intersect and have always been so important to each other.

Standout Session: “Clear skies ahead: Stories and strategies for change management in library acquisitions”

Jennifer Matthews, collection strategy librarian, Rowan University, NJ: Sara Duff, acquisitions and collection assessment librarian, University of Central Florida; and Rachel Scott, associate dean for information assets, Illinois State University, showcased a framework for handling changes in four categories: software implementation, the print to digital shift, textbook affordability, and open access within the library. The framework was a seven-step program that comprised:

1. Making a case for change
2. Creating a compelling vision
3. Communicating effectively
4. Managing barriers
5. Managing resistance
6. Showing progress
7. Reinforcing the change

Each librarian gave a specific example from each category and walked attendees through the framework step by step, providing useful guidance for other attendees for when changes need to be implemented at their own institutions.

Highlight: Another day, another graphic illustrated board from the Katina Magazine and Charleston teams; Thursday’s question for delegates was, “What does librarianship elevated mean to you?” Answers included “working with faculty to preserve research integrity,” “new ideas about roles,” and “supporting society’s progress through knowledge and expertise.”

DAY 3: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14

The second day of the conference was once again filled with fascinating sessions, including the interactive “Trendspotting Initiatives,” where we were encouraged to think about current trends in the library world and how these could evolve, and “Beyond backfiles: Innovative approaches to year-end, one-time spending,” which focused on how and why libraries make one-off purchases for their users.

Standout Session: “Now and What’s Next: current dynamics in academic library management systems, discovery services, and the potential impact of AI”

This session, led by Marshall Breeding, creator of Library Technology Guides, was a fascinating look at the history of the primary academic library management systems (EBSCO, Clarivate, and OCLC) and how they have evolved and consolidated over the past few decades. Breeding’s main message was that he believes major upheaval is now behind us, and he doesn’t expect there to be any major changes to the main players. He also gave a warning that libraries shouldn’t fall into the trap of completely digitizing their collections; both because they should be respecting some patrons’ preference for print, and because digital resources can be more prone to cyber-attacks (using the example of the British Library cyber incident). He ended with his thoughts on how AI will continue to extend and enhance library work and service by solving problems for librarians, such as giving them the ability to describe and attach data to resources (such as images) where there would not be sufficient time to do it manually.

Highlight: The Charleston Premiers “Stopwatch” session has been running at the conference for years, allowing new, innovative products that are hand-picked by a librarian board to be introduced by vendors to the library audience. A good number of the products presented revolved around the use of AI—for example, the Web of Science Research Assistant from Clarivate—and increasing access to endangered materials—such as Coherent Digital, which was very popular with the audience. Exact Editions presented its offering of a unique Perpetual Access model that allows libraries to make a one-time purchase of not only magazine back catalogues but also ongoing issues.

The main themes of this year’s conference broadly revolved around transitions, such as how the industry is adapting as AI transforms the way we work, how to keep collections diverse as the print to digital shift continues, and how we can anticipate and best respond to future changes and trends as they arise. The 2024 Charleston Conference provided the perfect opportunity for all those in the information industry to have these important conversations about how these transitions will affect our work and processes, both in the day-to-day and the long-term.