Amplifying Library Voices: Vocal Techniques and Public Speaking Skills for Librarians

Get speech and presentation strategies from three librarians with professional theatre backgrounds.Techniques for breath, projection, memorization, vocal health, resonance, articulation, phrasing, clarity, audience engagement, and managing nerves will be explained, demonstrated, and practiced in an inclusive and supportive environment. This workshop is meant for librarians and library staff of all different experience levels. The session will be highly interactive so comfortable clothing and footwear is strongly recommended. Come prepared to breathe and move! The session will be physically engaging, but exercises can easily be adapted and alternative techniques will be provided, so that participants will find approaches that work for them. Activating different vocal resonators allows for a richer tone of voice and more dynamic use of pitch when speaking. We invite learners to make a great deal of funny sounds in this workshop to engage different parts of their vocal range, and challenge themselves with new techniques. No one will be asked to present or perform in front of the group as part of this workshop. This is a supportive place to practice techniques you can take away and apply to presentations in the future. By the end of the workshop participants will have repeatable exercises they can use to activate their breath, vocal range, and articulators before a presentation. In addition to vocal techniques, we will outline tried-and-true preparation techniques for managing nerves and effectively communicating to your audience in the moment. This will include tips for how to use phrasing and physicality to shape your presentation, engage your listeners, reinforce arguments, compare ideas, and bring the audience on a journey. We will also share the techniques we personally use to center ourselves and calm nerves before going on stage, such as deep breathing, focusing on intentions and actions, and visualization techniques. Learners will be provided with a handout of directions for each activity and our best tips, so they can revisit these strategies whenever they need to. In the great words of Jennifer Lopez - Let’s get loud!