[LIS-Forum] For introverted Librarians

[Jay H]

Public Speaking Handbook for Librarians and Information Professionals
by Sarah R. Statz
Paperback: 175 pages 
Publisher: McFarland & Company (July, 2003) 
ISBN: 0786415460 
US $ 39.95
Editorial Reviews

>From Booklist
"One of the core competencies for librarians today is communication
skills." This quotation from Maggie Weaver opens Statz's book. In two
sections, "The Speaking Process" and "The Speaking Environment," Statz
shares her own and others' experiences with public-speaking
interaction. She does not promise to make it easy but rather to help
librarians find their own voices. "The Speaking Process" is a textbook
of the principles of preparation and delivery. These chapters focus on
listening as well as speaking. "The Speaking Environment" discusses
specific situations such as interviewing, instruction, meetings, and
presentations. Appendixes of professional interviews, software tips,
and bibliographic references make this a book that could be used in a
teaching situation or as a reference for the professional shelf in any
library. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Description:
Now more than ever, librarians need good communication skills. They
are no longer unseen collectors, classifiers, and cultural guardians.
Information professionals are doing more public speaking at
conferences, in meetings, classes, book talks and countless other
situations, but many of them dislike, even fear, the thought of
getting up in front of a group of people and giving a presentation.

Librarians and other information professionals can find in this work
help in overcoming their hesitation. Part one offers basic principles
for better speech preparation and delivery, discussing such topics as
the importance of good listening skills to being a good speaker, doing
the necessary research beforehand, applying organizational skills to a
presentation, engaging an audience, practicing a presentation before
actually giving it, and putting oneself at ease, among others. Part
Two discusses the specific situations in which librarians often have
to communicate, including interviews, interpersonal communication,
library instruction, meetings and presentations to large groups.
Reviews :

Sarah Statz's Public Speaking Handbook for Librarians and Information
Professionals is a terrific resource for any librarian who counts
workshops, book talks, bibliographic instruction, story times,
presentations, or discussion groups among their job responsibilities.
It is also a useful tool for any library employee seeking to improve
their day-to-day interactions with library users. This well-written
handbook is divided into two distinctive parts. The first part
provides basic strategies and suggestions suitable for anyone
preparing to speak before a group. The second section focuses
specifically on the world of library professionals and the situations
in which improved public speaking skills can positively impact
self-representation as well as the quality of service provided in the
library.

I found that the author's enthusiasm for the topic, keen sense of
humor, conversational writing style, and well-researched approach make
this handbook uniquely enjoyable to read. A busy professional will
also appreciate the practical length of the book, the nicely annotated
suggestions for further reading (included with many of the chapters),
and "The Speaker's Bookshelf" in the appendices. It is clear that the
author has carefully done her research and applied it to her own
experience working in the library world. As a public librarian, I have
referred to this book many times and have always found it to be
useful. I believe that any library professional will find this
handbook to be an asset to their personal reference shelf.