Visionary. Connector. Builder. Those words describe Katina Strauch, 79.
When we spoke with Katina, she was recovering from a broken leg, talking with us from her bed on her smartphone. Despite the setback, she remains what she has always been: an active writer, researcher, lifelong learner, and trusted consultant to the Charleston Conference—the influential global gathering for the scholarly communications community that she founded more than four decades ago.
What began as a meeting of just 20 people has grown into an annual conference that attracts thousands of academic librarians, publishers, booksellers, vendors, and information professionals from around the world. In the late 1970s, major research libraries had opportunities to meet through the Association of Research Libraries, but there was no place where smaller academic libraries, publishers, and vendors could come together as equals to exchange ideas and solve shared challenges. Katina recognized that gap and imagined something entirely new: an informal, collaborative conference where every voice mattered.
At the time, she was on the tenure track and looking for a meaningful way to establish her professional reputation. Rather than pursuing a traditional academic path, she created a gathering that transformed an industry. By inviting antiquarian book librarians, publishers, vendors, and librarians into the same conversation, she built a community that continues to shape scholarly communication today.
Reflecting on its impact, Katina simply says, “It’s had a huge impact.”
The Charleston Conference recently entered a new chapter when it was acquired by the nonprofit Annual Reviews, helping ensure that Katina’s remarkable legacy will continue for generations to come.
“Smaller academic libraries, publishers, and vendors now could come together as equals.” – Katina Strauch
Connect with Katina:
Email: katina.strauch@gmail.com
Book: Doing the Charleston (2025) – Katina’s memoir chronicling the creation and evolution of the Charleston Conference alongside her career as a librarian.
Thanking our Platinum Sponsor—AARP Illinois, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 1.7 million members in Illinois, AARP volunteers advocate for better health, financial security, and stronger communities.
Visit AARP.org/IL to learn more.
Shining the light on Age-Wise Collective—check out Boomer Banter with Wendy Green—it’s in a new chapter, with shorter solo episodes focused on her personal caregiving journey and the search for purpose in later life. Going deeper, her Substack, Thriving Through Time, by Boomer Banter is where she really opens up. Find everything on Wendy’s website, heyboomer.biz.
