Many library professionals are called upon to serve as advocates and public
champions for programs, initiatives, or policies that advance the mission
of libraries. As these initiatives inherently become more technological in
nature, and their success (and continued funding) pivots around developing
valuable community partnerships, it becomes increasingly essential that
librarians, curators, and library technology staff have the rhetorical
tools to form and express compelling arguments in support of abstract
technical or critical concepts. Compounding this problem is the wide
variety of audiences we must speak to with equal deftness--researchers,
administrators, funders, colleagues, and the public. However, few
librarians receive formal training in public speaking or argumentation,
even though we are routinely called upon to deliver informational and
persuasive presentations. In short, it is hard to secure support for
digital initiatives like preservation, open access repositories, or data
curation if we cannot communicate why our stakeholders should value the
work.
This fully interactive workshop will take attendees through the foundations
of persuasive speaking, addressing the unique challenges of advocating for
digital programs and technology-driven initiatives. Working in small
cohorts, participants will develop short presentations by applying
argumentation theory and public speaking techniques to the everyday
challenges of digital libraries, coupled with constructive reflection and
refinement. Led by a former competitive speech coach turned digital
librarian, the learning outcomes of this reflective and responsive session
will be heavily shaped by the desires and knowledge of other participants.
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