‘People — AHHHHH’

My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. I couldn’t concentrate on any sounds beyond my blood flow. The room grew warmer as time passed. When I couldn’t take it anymore, I abruptly shouted, “I’ll go next.” I volunteered to be the next student to do a 10-minute presentation.

I knew since the beginning of the year about the presentation. This wasn’t the first time I had to talk to a group, and it won’t be the last. As I approached the front of the class I took a deep breath. I became calmer. This presentation was a big improvement from earlier presentations because I didn’t feel like I was going to run out of the room.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0FViwZmsGQ

Earlier presentations were a vast improvement from classes or work activities that involved public speaking (no PowerPoint or projection screen) because I didn’t feel like I was going to die while talking.

Public speaking ranks 26th out of 89 fears in America, according to a Chapman University survey, but is second greatest fear among personal anxieties (Ledbetter, 2015). The internet provides an array of offerings about public speaking ranging from how to conquer the fear to how to speak to an audience. Libraries also provide books and videos on the topic (Dewey Decimal Classification 808.5–808.51; Library of Congress Classification PN4121–4130).

Some libraries go further and provide programming related to public speaking. The Chicago Public Library in partnership with Peer 2 Peer University offered six-week study groups at the Coleman and Roosevelt branches in September. The groups participated in an online course titled “Introduction to Public Speaking” at the libraries facilitated by a community organizer. Greenwich Library (CT) had a one-night presentation titled “Public Speaking Made Easy” in September. An expert from the local business community spoke to patrons about how to make themselves and their audience comfortable, among other topics (Greenwich Library, 2015). Missoula Public Library (MT) and the Maze Branch of Oak Park Public Library (IL) offered their patrons monthly adult improv workshops. Learning improv could help develop one’s public speaking skills and quick thinking (Flanagan, 2015).

People need public speaking and presentation skills for daily use. Business owners have to talk to multiple funders, vendors, and clients. People also have to speak to groups at work, PTA meetings, weddings, funerals, and court. I’m sure I could’ve beaten a ticket several years ago if I wasn’t so nervous or knew how to talk in front of the judge, the officer who pulled me over, and about 30 other alleged traffic violators.

These days, public speaking for me is like getting stuck with a needle at the doctor’s office: the anticipation hurts more than the actual event. This is because I constantly have to do it for school. Continuous programming for public speaking at libraries could help some patrons sharpen their skills and gradually overcome one of their biggest fears.

References

Flanagan, L. (2015, January 30). How Improv Can Open Up the Mind to Learning in the Classroom and Beyond. Retrieved December 1, 2015, from http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/01/30/how-improv-can-open-up-the-mind-to-learning-in-the-classroom-and-beyond/

Ledbetter, S. (2015, October 13). America’s Top Fears 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2015, from https://blogs.chapman.edu/wilkinson/2015/10/13/americas-top-fears-2015/

Public Speaking Made Easy, September 30. (2015, September 27). Retrieved December 1, 2015, from http://www.greenwichlibrary.org/blog/library_news/2015/09/public-speaking-made-easy-september-30.html

Rose, J. (2011, June 4). Hair raising hare. The scariest part [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0FViwZmsGQ