Charleston-Hub

11/06/2025

A few Wednesday conference highlights 🎉

11/06/2025

A few photos (and song lyrics!) from Tuesday's Katina Cantina. Thank you for celebrating the one-year anniversary of Katina Magazine with us — here's to many many more

11/04/2025

“You need to always be mindful of what you bring to the table — because it is vast, and it is powerful.”

Academic librarians play a critical role in scholarly communication—and the ability to clearly articulate and defend this role is crucial. In Day 1's morning preconference, Lucy Santos Green led a workshop on how to strategically articulating the value of scholarly communication, academic libraries, and the library profession.

A few takeaways:

👉 Lack of visibility = lack of existence. If people don't know where something is, the assumption isn't that it is lost... it's that it *isn't there
👉 Awareness is about developing a meaningful, detailed and thorough understanding of the library's role in student, faculty and staff growth and development; the achievement of an institution's priorities; and the achievement of a state's priorities
👉 To develop that visibility, really think about who you are, what you are, and where you are... and have visible celebrations on a consistent basis

Great food for thought to kick off the conference.

11/03/2025

Registration is now open! Swing on by to pick up your badge, your ribbons and your conference tote 👜

PS: Which ribbons are you picking up?

08/28/2025

🌏 Big news: The Charleston Conference is going global!

We’re thrilled to share more about the inaugural Charleston Conference Asia, taking place January 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Since 1980, the Charleston Conference — founded by librarian and entrepreneur Katina Strauch — has been a collegial gathering where librarians, publishers, vendors, and others come together to tackle the same issues in a friendly, informal environment.

Now, we’re extending that spirit of collaboration to the Asia-Pacific region.

🎥 Watch our new informational video with Executive Director Leah Hinds to get a closer look at what’s ahead: https://youtu.be/YXJ1rMxaf7U?si=N203cJX0CGaYVIGi

Learn more about our plans for the new Charleston Conference Asia event in Bangkok, January 26-28, 2026.

08/21/2025

🌏 Curious about Charleston Conference Asia? Join us for a free 20-minute online info session!

You’ll get a preview of the program, networking opportunities, and why this event is a can’t-miss.

Two times are available so you can join live from wherever you are—or watch the recording later.

✨ Session 1: Monday, August 25, 8:30 am Eastern / 7:30 pm ICT Bangkok
Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OQo5qh_JQXCoPdN-4SwH3g #/registration

✨ Session 2: Tuesday, August 26, 9:30 pm Eastern / Wednesday, August 27, 8:30 am ICT Bangkok
Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jH83XI8GSvqvmxRO3BcG9w #/registration

We can’t wait to share what’s ahead!

08/13/2025

Great news—there’s still time to be part of the inaugural Charleston Conference Asia, January 26–28, 2026, in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Call for Papers deadline has been extended to August 29, 2025. This is your chance to:

• Share innovative ideas and bold perspectives

• Contribute to conversations at the intersection of global librarianship, scholarly publishing, AI, equity, and sustainability

• Connect with a diverse, international community of librarians, publishers, vendors, and thought leaders

We welcome new voices and diverse viewpoints from across the knowledge ecosystem. Whether you’re in Asia or anywhere in the world, your insight matters.

📍 Submit here: https://www.charleston-hub.com/charleston-conference-asia/

08/13/2025

2025 Charleston Conference Scholarships – Now Open!

We’re thrilled to announce that applications are now open for multiple scholarships and awards to attend the 2025 Charleston Library Conference.

These awards support library workers—especially those with limited funding—by providing travel assistance, conference registration, and professional recognition.

Available Scholarships for 2025:

🔹 Charleston Conference Librarian Scholarship Fund
Rolling, first-come-first-served. Designed to help librarians and staff with limited travel budgets attend the conference.

🔹 Cynthia Graham Hurd Memorial Scholarship
A $1,500 travel stipend that honors the legacy of Charleston librarian Cynthia Graham Hurd and supports librarians making a community impact.
📅 Deadline: August 15, 2025

🔹 HARRASSOWITZ Charleston Scholarship
This $1,000 award is open to librarians/paraprofessionals who have never attended the Charleston Conference.
📅 Deadline: September 4, 2025

🔹 Sage’s Travel Grant Contest
Win $500 + free registration for the grand prize or $50 Amazon gift cards for 5 runners-up.
This year's prompt: “How can the academic library of the future support critical thinking and information literacy in an AI-driven world?”
📅 Deadline: September 8, 2025

More info + application links: https://www.charleston-hub.com/the-charleston-conference/scholarships/

This year's conference is taking place in person in historic downtown Charleston, SC, November 3 – 7 and online November 17 – 21.

Please share with your networks—and we hope to see you in Charleston this fall!

08/08/2025

📣 Calling all library employees in the U.S. and Canada!

Springer Nature is now accepting applications for the Cynthia Graham Hurd Memorial Award — a $1,500 scholarship to help one deserving library employee attend the Charleston Library Conference this November in Charleston, SC.

This award honors the incredible legacy of Cynthia Graham Hurd, a Charleston librarian who devoted her life to education, equity, and community.

Are you working on a project that empowers students, supports DEI, or helps your community thrive?
This is for YOU — especially if attending a conference feels out of reach due to limited funding.

🗓 Application deadline: August 15, 2025
📌 Apply here: https://www.springernature.com/gp/librarians/landing/hurd-memorial-scholarship

Please share this opportunity widely!

08/07/2025

The ITOCA team have concluded the practical component by hosting 13 virtual classes for the ITOCA DAAD E-resources Training, and as a team we are proud to say we had an excellent time training and interacting with all the groups of scholars. All thanks to the scholars for taking part in the training...

08/05/2025

Looking for a smart, quirky roundup of stories from inside—and way outside—the library world? The latest Tea Time with Katina Strauch and Leah Hinds column from Against the Grain is serving just that.

This week’s mix includes:
🎬 A cinematic moment: The legendary “Rosebud” sled from Citizen Kane just became the second most expensive movie prop ever.

🫒 A tiny, tasty gift idea: The Yiayia and Friends mini olive oil set is bringing big flavor in small bottles—and celebrating Greek grandmothers along the way.

🌊 A coastal comeback: Meet the two-person nonprofit collecting oyster shells and returning them to Connecticut waters.

🗣️ Plus, a charming guide to South Carolinian colloquialisms and regional slang from The Post and Courier—perfect for fans of Southern culture.

📺 And don’t miss Doing the Charleston: A Conversation with Katina, hosted by ASERL and hosted by Darrell W. Gunter. You can catch the full session and slides here: www.aserl.org/archive

Read the full column on ATGtheBlog at https://www.charleston-hub.com/2025/08/tea-time-with-katina-and-leah-96/.