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----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Dear ARLIS colleagues, As those of you who have read the preliminary ARLIS/NA 1997 conference schedule know, one of the workshops being offered on Saturday, April 5 is, "Sharper and Clearer: Focusing Your Presentation Skills." A copy of the workshop description is attached at the end of this message. The workshop sponsors are the Reference and Information Services Section and the Art & Design School Libraries Division. The workshop leader will be Dr. M. Erin Porter from the Center for Teaching Effectiveness at the University of Texas at Austin, where she is the Faculty Development Specialist. Dr. Porter's background is communications; this spring she will be teaching a course to graduate library school students at UT Austin on "Teaching How to Teach." In order to prepare for the workshop, we'd like to tell Dr. Porter what librarians' concerns are related to the speaking and presentation skills involved in bibliographic instruction (BI) or other oral presentations. While the skills covered in the workshop are certainly not limited to BI, we do hope to have some focus in that particular area. We have already sent a stack of articles and essays to Dr. Porter, but she would like to know what potential attendees' concerns are and what they would hope to get from the workshop. Some of our concerns with presentations for BI or other situations in which verbal and non-verbal communication skills are important include the following: 1. Having an hour or maybe only twenty minutes to cover material that we know would be better done with more time. This is also known as "the one-shot deal." 2. How to be engaging and interesting and seem like a nice approachable person while trying to fit everything in to those twenty minutes. [I'm sure I must seem awfully serious sometimes.--SM] 3. Getting reluctant students to participate when we ask questions. And do we wake up the sleepers?? 4. Not being able to see or hear ourselves! Who evaluates the presenter? For many classes, I have the students complete an evaluation form, but I know I'd get a different type of evaluation from peers. Can't always bring them along, though. 5. The reference interview: the student asks a question, and the librarian asks the student ten questions in response. We need to do this in order to determine the real question, but can it put the student off? 6. Effective use of audiovisual/electronic tools. 7. When I give a presentation, is it coherent? Does it flow? How is the pacing? Am I trying to fit in too much? 8. Very basic skills such as speaking into a microphone. 9. I may be unaware of habitual movements, body postures, or phrases that distract my listeners from the content of my presentation. How do I discern these and deal with them? 10. How can I overcome "stage fright" before I begin a presentation? Are there exercises or relaxation techniques that would help? 11. What should I do when I sense that I am losing the interest of my audience? Should I speed up, speak louder, tell a joke, ask questions, or simply quit? 12. What is the best way to deal with disruptions during my presentation, whether they be from a person in the audience or an unexpected situation that arises? We've included these issues just to get you started thinking. This is probably a list-worthy topic, but you may reply to us directly (Laurie or Sara) if you prefer. Sara J. MacDonald, Greenfield Library, University of the Arts e-mail: [log in to unmask] Laurie Whitehill, Rhode Island School of Design Library e-mail: [log in to unmask] Workshop II. Sharper and clearer: focusing your presentation skills. Enrollment limit: 15 Price: $75 [this may change] Whether giving a library tour, conducting a bibliographic instruction session, engaging in a reference interview, training a new employee, or making an oral presentation to the Board of Trustees, all librarians employ various forms of verbal and non-verbal communication. Many of us, however, seldom have the opportunity for guidance and feedback on our public speaking skills. The purpose of this all-day workshop is to help librarians develop more effective oral presentation skills. The format of the workshop will include a lecture/demonstration, followed by a voluntary videotaping session and evaluation. While the workshop will focus on presentation skills for reference or bibliographic instruction, the content of the lecture and the videotaping experience will be relevant to all librarians. The day will be divided into a morning session with a lecture and demonstration given by the workshop leader. Participants who have indicated that they would like to be videotaped will then present (not read!) a prepared three-minute talk on a topic of their choice to the group, in front of the camera. Following a lunch break, workshop participants will view the videotaped presentations. The workshop leader will offer comments and suggestions for each presentation and solicity feedback and dialogue from the group. Further discussion will re-emphasize essential skills and, if time allows, a few participants may have the opportunity to re-do their presentations.