I recently got back from the 2014 Charleston Conference (CC), and once again, Katina Strauch and Co. hit a bases-loaded home run with it. I’m incredibly rejuvenated, reinvigorated, and inspired—and based on what I hear from friends and colleagues, that’s the effect this conference has on lots of folks. Just what is it about the Charleston Conference that creates an outstanding experience? A lot of factors combine to make it pretty much unique among library conferences. I’d list those factors as: Size The conference has increased in size compared to the early years (this is its 34th annual iteration), but it’s still “handleable” (especially compared to the big, no-holds-barred megaconferences that make me feel like one of thousands of cattle, penned up in whatever gosh-awful place the conference organizers decided to inflict on the membership that year). The smaller size means that when you do run into colleagues and acquaintances, you can actually pause in the lobby and chat with them without fear that you’re going to be crushed by the waves of harried attendees rushing to get to their next meeting. Pace The schedule is full, but meetings are close enough together that you don’t need a Segway to get from one venue to another. And there are enough planned breaks to enable you to meet people and talk with them. Face-to-face. Incredible. Attendees and Atmosphere The conference front page accurately tells potential attendees what they can expect: “Although our focus is on collection development and acquisitions, our attendance has traditionally varied from paraprofessional staff to library directors; from admin staff to CEOs; from the “little dogs” to the “big dogs.” And that’s the way we like it! It is designed to be a collegial gathering of individuals from different areas who discuss the same issues in a nonthreatening, friendly, and highly informal environment.” These “friendly” and “highly informal” elements are key to CC’s success; although there are movers, shakers, “kings,” and kingmakers attending, everyone gets the chance to talk with others on a level playing field, and most of the participants truly want to hear what others have to say, rather than just deliver their spiel and hop on the next plane out of town. Take a look at the attendees list to get a clearer idea of just how many parts of libraryland come together at this conference. Content and Speakers Although CC began as a meeting about acquisitions and collection development, it has branched out to cover a much wider range of interests. Topics addressed this year included:

• Open access
• Research, teaching, and learning
• Online learning/MOOCs
• eResources
• Data: collection, curating/maintaining, analysis, visualization
• Negotiating licenses
• Course reserves
• Textbooks
• Discovery
• Digital rights management (DRM)
• Student research skills
• Reference sources: print and digital
• Library space
• Institutional repositories
• Library value/return on investment
• Assessment (of a variety of programs and services)
• Collaboration (among libraries, between libraries and publishers, between librarians and faculty, and others)
• Deselection (aka, weeding)
• Demand-driven acquisition
• Self-published authors/texts
• Social media in the library
• Library curricula
• Crowdsourcing acquisitions and services
• and more….

The list of speakers is a “who is who” and a “who is going to be who” from libraryland, including:

1. Folks who aren’t on the usual library speakers circuit, so they’re not delivering the same (or slightly rehashed) talks again and again. The information presented at Charleston tends to be new, fresh, and sometimes provocative
2. Those who are speaking about actual work they are doing, often collaboratively
3. Up-and-comers who are doing innovative, interesting work
4. Frontline publishing people who work closely with librarians daily
5. Others who want to contribute and learn from colleagues.

The City of Charleston Ah, yes, it doesn’t hurt that this conference is held in one of the most beautiful cities in the United States, at a time when the Southern autumn weather approaches, and often achieves, perfection. As a setting for a conference it is nonpareil; just being in Charleston makes you feel good and as if everything is possible. Combine that feeling with the other factors that make up the Charleston Conference, and you get a positive library learning experience all around. Word to the wise for newer librarians: do try to attend the Charleston Conference at some point in the earlier years of your career. It will come as a revelation compared to other library gatherings; you’ll meet fascinating, dedicated people and learn a heck of a lot. It renews my faith in our profession every time I go. Read eReviews, where Cheryl LaGuardia and Bonnie J.M. Swoger look under the hood of the latest library databases and often offer free database trials