CPD23 Thing 15

Even Introverts Can Enjoy Conferences

I have been a frequent conference goer from ALA and PLA to our local state library association's annual conferences. I have also been a conference presenter both in  large and small venues.

First, conference attendance. I generally enjoy conferences -- whether there are interesting sessions to attend, vendors to browse, speakers to listen to, tables to staff, committee meetings to sit through, colleagues to catch up with. I also end up totally drained by the end of the conference. I love the ideas and the energy but all that interaction with others -- honestly, it gives me a headache. So I find ways to rest up and restore -- if I can I room by myself just so I can get some alone time. Otherwise I might sit somewhere in a crowded room and try to isolate myself (pouring intently over the conference program often helps to keep others at bay).

I have always gotten something out of a conference. I may not get something out of every session I attend but overall attending is worthwhile. Sometimes I attend because I have committee meetings I have to go to but generally it is because of the sessions offered. On reflection some of those sessions, even the ones that haven't been directly related to my job, have been pretty worth while. I still remember a session given by the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library about Friends and Foundation groups at PLA nearly 4 years ago. It was a very well done presentation, very engaging and entertaining, yet informative. My library director had asked me to go to that one and I am glad I did. And many keynote sessions I have attended have been really interesting whether hearing from a Google staffer on how to search and it's algorithm or Mary Pipher talk about immigrant populations in Nebraska.

I started presenting at NLA annual conferences a number of years ago. That first year I was rather terrified. I was part of a panel and I read what I had written. I am sure it was not very engaging. Since then, I have become comfortable in this small setting, where I often know at least some of the participants. I  have been pretty good at coming up with conference sessions for TSRT to sponsor at NLA. Last year was one of the few years I didn't present. But I am back in the saddle again and will be working on a RDA panel presentation for NLA in October.

What I have found far more daunting and don't really care to go do again, is presenting at PLA. For the past two years I was part of a group of presenters that presented Dangerous Ideas at PLA. In Minneapolis we were in the conference center's auditorium -- it is a big space. When it was my turn to speak I couldn't really see the audience. I did not have a large part to play but did my part okay. I have a soft voice and am not very experienced with microphones so I may not always have been heard. Last year's PLA was in Portland and we were again in a large space, a ballroom, or two. I put together a powerpoint slide show that told a story (about passive aggressiveness in a library) -- I used images with a little text and had notes to speak from. I did better than the last time, but I know that I was hard to hear at times. I started with a joke (My name is Deirdre and I am non-confrontational passive aggressive), at least it got a laugh.

But I am really not comfortable in front of such a large group. I do well with the NLA audience. I can talk on a subject I have some knowledge and perhaps expertise with and not need a script (or a microphone). I am glad I have done the presentations at PLA -- it is good to know that I can do them but also good to know that I don't want to do it again. Like going down the enclosed slide at Coco-Keys.