When and where is the 2026 Charleston Conference?

November 2–6, 2026 in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, at the Charleston Gaillard Center (95 Calhoun Street), the Francis Marion Hotel and the Courtyard by Marriott Charleston Historic District.

How much does it cost?

Regular in-person registration is $695 (September 19–October 23) and late/on-site is $850. A one-day in-person rate is $295 and library students and retirees pay $110. Virtual registration is $450 at the regular rate. Groups of four or more from one organisation get 15% off automatically.

Yes. Virtual registration includes live access, virtual-only programming and on-demand content, and stays open after in-person registration closes.

When is the Vendor Showcase?

Tuesday, November 3, 2026, for one day only, alongside the preconferences.

2026 Charleston Conference

Name: 2026 Charleston Conference
Start: 2026-11-02T14:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-11-06T17:00:00+00:00
Location: Charleston Gaillard Center

About this event

The Charleston Conference is an informal annual gathering of librarians, publishers, electronic resource managers, consultants and vendors of library materials, held each November in historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina. It is where the people who buy, license, publish and distribute scholarly content discuss the issues that affect all of them, from acquisitions and licensing to open access, research integrity and the use of AI in publishing. The conference is part of the nonprofit Annual Reviews.

Week at a glance

The 2026 conference runs over five days across three downtown venues: the Charleston Gaillard Center, the Francis Marion Hotel and the Courtyard by Marriott Charleston Historic District.

November 2: registration and vendor booth setup (2–6 pm)
November 3: preconferences and the one-day Vendor Showcase
November 4–6: main conference sessions, with continental breakfasts and evening events

Who attends

Academic and research librarians, collection development and acquisitions staff, electronic resource managers, scholarly publishers, content aggregators and library vendors, and consultants who serve the library market.

Formats

Alongside conference sessions selected through a call for papers, the week includes the Vendor Showcase exhibition day, Charleston Premiers short presentations of new products and services, preconference workshops and networking events. Virtual registration offers live access, virtual-only programming and on-demand content for those who cannot travel.