Librarians and Public Speaking

At some point in your librarian career (and it's going to be sooner rather than later), you will be speaking in public. It doesn't matter if you're a public, academic, special or school librarian. It is going to happen to you. I hate to ruin your image of being safely ensconced in the library because it's not going to happen. Even if your MLIS program hasn't prepared you, it's still going to happen. And I'm not talking about book talks or even bibliographic instruction. You will be going out into your community to talk about why the library is important, to let people know what services you offer, to attend community meetings where your input is valuable.

Just last month alone I spoke to my Friends of the Library group, the local Kiwanis group, a home school group, and an ECFE group. If you truly, truly do not like public speaking, librarianship is not the career for you. I do not consider myself an amazing public speaker by any stretch of the imagination but I have learned how to get my message across, how not to bore my intended audience, and how to tailor my message TO my intended audience. I mean this very sincerely but if you think librarianship is about books and remaining pretty close behind the four walls of your library, just doing in house speaking, you are in for a rude awakening. When cuts start to happen, you have to be able to be a voice for the library organization.

I did not take a public speaking course during my MLIS but it was emphasized to me that I would be doing a lot of public speaking. I can only hope this is the message other students are getting because I have recently spoken with two future public librarians who were rather surprised to hear all the places I had traveled to and all the people I had spoken with. I am a youth librarian and I make my career out of helping kids from 0-18 but I can't forget the adults because I speak to a lot of adults too. It kind of comes hand in hand of course.

Watch and observe public speakers. See what works and what doesn't because you will be using that information. If you truly need it, take another public speaking course. But honestly, the more you do it, the better you will get. Like anything else, it is an ability that does become better with practice. While I'll never be truly comfortable speaking in public, I'm much better about managing my anxiety and nerves now and that goes a long way to making me not say "um" and "uh.." and other fillers quite so much.

Perhaps this is a topic that has been rehashed over and over in library land but honestly, when I was talking with my two future colleagues, they seems so surprised. But the fact is, you'll be speaking, A LOT. Get used to it. Take opportunities in school to network and if possible, present to groups other than your class. It will come in handy down the road.

What has been YOUR experience with public speaking in the library? Are you still nervous? Do you have any tips or tricks to share?