From an Unentrepreneur 2011

1. Katina Strauch Assistant Dean for Technical Services and Collection Development Addlestone Library, College of Charleston

2. Test courtesy of Daniel Isenberg and the Harvard Business Review

3. I dont like being told what to do by people who are less capable than I am. I like challenging myself. I like to win. I like being my own boss. I always look for new and better ways to do things. I like to question conventional wisdom.

4. I like to get people together in order to get things done. People get excited by my ideas. I am rarely satisfied or complacent. I cant sit still. I can usually work my way out of a difficult situation. I would rather fail at my own thing than succeed at someone elses.

5. Whenever there is a problem I am ready to jump right in. I think that old dogs can learn even invent new tricks. Members of my family run their own businesses. I have friends who run their own businesses. I worked after school and during vacations when I was growing up.

6. I get an adrenaline rush from selling things. I am exhilarated by achieving results. I could have written a better test than Isenberg and here is what I would change. There are 20 questions. If you say Yes to 17 or more, its time for some soul searching! http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/02/should_you_ be_an_entrepreneur.html

7. Stage One : Conviction Acquisitions librarian, knew nothing Colleagues Ralph Melnick, Cerise Oberman, Sue Sommer-Kresse Antiquarian Book Fair, no Internet A.B. Bookmans Weekly used instead 1979 young, eager, enthusiastic

8. Second Stage: Idea Rare books conference Jake Chernofsky, Bob Barrows, Paul Koda, Karen Hitchcock-Mort, Mike Markwith Moved to in print books, had to learn how to do what I was supposed to be doing Books, not serials, there was already a serials librarian Idea was a conglomeration of Practicality (P), Experience (E), and Whomever I could talk into coming (W) PEW

9. Third Stage: Concept People helped Bill Schenck, Tom Leonhardt, John Ryland, Mike Markwith, etc., etc. Names Issues in Book and Serial Acquisition (main theme) New Subtheme every year for book and serials crowd You can see changes in the profession by looking at the conference themes. 1980 no theme

10. 1981 no theme yet 1982 baby born, no conference 80s old problems, new solutions; external influences on collection development; questioning assumptions; learning more than you ever wanted to know about finance 90s is the medium the message; money talks; savage marketplace; learning from our mistakes 21st century we need more for less; trends are a-changin; things are seldom what they seem; all the worlds a serial; the tangled web we weave

11. 2010 Anything Goes! 2011 Somethings Gotta Give! Concepts (8) One: No exhibits. Talk about ISSUES not PRODUCTS. Two: No concurrent sessions. Three: Vendors, publishers and librarians together as equals and colleagues. No hierarchies. Four: Be open to all even the little guys and girls.

12. Five: No support from an official organization. Six: Listen to all attendees and encourage them to implement their ideas. Sidebar The Charleston Conference is a Conference of other peoples ideas! Some of them: (in random order) Michael Poupore (Hotel and local arrangements)

13. Leah Hinds (webmaster and general helper) Regina Semko (registrar and local arrangements) Judy Webster, Rosann Bazirjian, Beth Bernhardt (directors of the program committee) The Conference Program committee Dorinda Harmon, Gayle Karolczyk, Stephen Parker, et al (hotel and other local arrangements) Chet Willis and John Williams (computers, media, extra effects)

14. Shirley Davidson (conference historian and memory bank) Mike Markwith (attendee at very first conference and many others) (helped select and give out gifts at early conferences) Sandy Paul (talked and danced and generally had fun even if it was about standards Lyman Newlin (the conscience of the Conference)

15. David Nicholas (Charleston Research Observatory) Outcry from conference attendees (Saturday sessions) Leah Hinds (Fast Tech Talks) Outcry from Conference attendees (Beastly breakfasts) Pam Cenzer and Susan Campbell (Mentors) Dorinda Harmon (Lively Lunches) Audrey Powers (DineArounds)

16. Seven: Develop a Conference Personality Be Quirky, have a sense of humor, be flexible, mix things up, be unpredictable, be cutting edge, let people dress the way they feel most comfortable, never use the word NO!, adapt, change, keep moving, add last minute hot topics/ideas even if you drive the Conference program director crazy (this is especially important), beware of fads

17. Against the Grain, linking publishers, vendors, and librarians keep people in touch throughout the year. Build momentum. Begun 1989 (lucky year) Hurricane Hugo! Wanted it to be ten pages, mimeographed No advertisements First layouts done by Steve Johnson (Clemson)

18. Fourth Stage: Venture Charleston Conference and Against the Grain are LLCs, limited liability companies. Staff are all part timers on hourly salaries. Have regular full time jobs. Many volunteers like Beth Bernhardt!

19. Fifth Stage: Business Hope to keep up for a long time. I started out with nothing and have most of it left. Some Mistakes to avoid Leaving speakers off the program when you told them they were on the program! Closing the mens bathrooms for women! Fighting with onsite partners. Fighting with hotels.

20. Turning down $60 a night rooms at Charleston Place! Cutting off speakers who talked too long. Begging same speakers for their papers for the Proceedings. Not keeping enough of an archive! Beth?

21. Gave Knut Dorn a cactus and other outrageous favors to speakers Threw Charleston Chews to the publishers in the audience. Mary Fugle annouced that Jolanda van Hagen wanted to speak at the Conference Colletts told Against the Grain that they would come to the conference and straighten out arguments with customers but they didnt!

22. Last minute got call from keynote speaker that he/she couldnt come on my work voice mail when I had the week off! Speakers insisting on taking the red eye and arriving at the last minute. Keynote speaker who only praised his/her company Becky Lenzini fell off the stage at the Dock Street Theater but didnt skip a beat!

23. -First year of the Conference when I was trying to get at least 20 attendees was devastated to have someone cancel because he had mistakenly thought the meeting was in West Virginia! -Hurricane Hugo -- 1989 Charleston was devastated. Walked down to the Mills House Hotel (which was hosting the Conference) because I couldnt drive there. Charleston was horrible. Ground zero. Didnt know if Conference would happen or not.

24. Stage Six: Sustainable Business Recommend Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by James C. Collins, Jerry I. Porras. New York: HarperBusiness Essentials, c2002. Very helpful. Building the vision, framework, core ideology.

25. 2005 Theme Things are Seldom What They Seem 2 hotels 88 Presentations 2010 Anything Goes 3 hotels and Addlestone Library 157 Presentations

26. 2005 2010 Changes in Acquisitions Repurposing of jobs in Acquisitions Open Access effect on publishing Open Access is growing, journals, e- books, textbooks Google Library Print Programs Google Book Settlement ILL Purchase on-demand Patron Driven Acquisitions Print vs Electronic Electronic is more accepted Pay Per View Pay Per View Usage Stats Counter and Sushi

27. Katina Strauch Assistant Dean for Technical Services and Collection Development Addlestone Library, College of Charleston www.cofc.edu/library Editor, Against the Grain www.against-the-grain.com/ Founder, Charleston Conference www.katina.info/conference

From an Unentrepreneur 2011

Education