University of South Carolina Libraries hosted over 100 digital information professionals from across the country June 9th through the 11th for the 2025 Best Practices Exchange, an annual nationwide gathering of library and museum professionals who focus on managing, preserving and providing access to digital information.

Primarily hosted in Thomas Cooper Library and Hollings Special Collections Library, the conference gave attendees the opportunity to attend concurrent sessions focused on topics such as accessibility in digital collections, digital preservation and the use of generative AI in the field of digital repositories.

The conference’s keynote speech was delivered by Dr. Stephen Abrams, Head of Digital Preservation at Harvard University. His remarks focused on how digital preservation is implemented and practiced and the potential it has to contribute to community memory and to communicate that memory to future generations.

Digital preservation of materials, including historic records, documents and items that are rare and delicate in nature, ensures accessibility for future generations to experience their shared experiences and past, according to Abrams. “Information resources are thoroughly embedded in every aspect of our life,” Abrams said. “How do we remember these things and communicate them for the future?”

Katie Hoskins, Digital Collections Librarian at the University, was the 2025 BPE conference chair and led the committees that organized the library spaces, activities and food as well as the group which solicited and reviewed sessions proposals and built out the conference schedule.

“The Best Practices Exchange is a space to share openly and honestly about the challenges we face and think through them collaboratively with our peers,” said Hoskins. “Providing the space for and participating in these discussions helps us grow.”

“I’m very pleased we were able to welcome the Best Practices Exchange to USC this year. BPE is a great forum for those engaged in managing, preserving, and providing access to digital information,” said David Banush, Dean of University Libraries. “Librarians, archivists, IT professionals, and researchers from across the country came to Columbia to talk about the ongoing challenges of the digital information ecosystem.  We are delighted by the high turnout and the chance to engage with so many colleagues doing the same work.”

Not only did attendees get to attend multiple sessions, they also got to take part in various activities around the University and Columbia. Participants got a tour of University Libraries Spring exhibit “Something significant, elemental and profound”: Celebrating 100 Years of The Great Gatsby, as well as of the South Caroliniana Library, the historic Horseshoe and the Anne Frank Center.