The Introverted Public Speaker: Why You Should Still Be a Presenter

I have often pondered the answer to this question: why am I, an introvert, also a public speaker? It doesn't seem to make sense. At the beginning of November, I had the honor of leading a concurrent session at the 2015 AASL national conference. After the thrill of my proposal acceptance wore off, a mild panic set in. I knew I would be prepared, but the racing pulse just wouldn't slow down. Why did I agree to do this?

And then I had to reflect on why I had put so much time into creating a proposal - why I wanted to present so badly. One reason I am a presenter is because I am passionate about what I do. I enjoy being a school librarian, and I am excited to share the projects that have been successful in my library. If my ideas can help a colleague, all the better.

Perhaps the bigger reason I present is because of the librarians who have made me the passionate

professional I am today. Whether I am learning at a conference, in a class, over lunch, from the PSLA listserv, on Twitter, through blogs - I am excited about my job because so many wonderful colleagues have shown me the way. The community of school librarians out there have offered me lesson and promotion ideas, they have modeled how to be a tech leader in their schools, and they have demonstrated how to convey a love of learning. It only seems fair that I pass this excitement on to others. My predecessors should not bear the entire burden of inspiring a whole new class of librarians. We are a community of seekers and most importantly sharers. I present because I feel incredibly lucky to be a member of this community and I want to give back in any way that I can.

Finally, I present because then I get to start the conversation in which I want to participate. I have been very fortunate to attend several different library conferences, and the topic that has most shaped the teacher librarian I am today is library promotion. The only way students get the full impact of their information literacy education is if they have the opportunity to come to the library. I am very lucky to have learned many of my promotion skills at conferences.

If you are on the fence about becoming a conference presenter, put your fears aside and reflect on how much you have gained from other conference presenters. Good luck on your next presentation!