From Booklist "One of the core competencies for librarians today is communication skills." This quotation from Maggie Weaver opens Statz's book. In two
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 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.