#ALSC24 How Do I Present?

I have a unique take on ALSC National Institute this year as I am presenting twice on very different topics. The first was after lunch today and was “Climbing the Leadership Ladder: What You Need to Know Before the First Rung and How to Decide Where to Stop” with Uma Nori and Mary Fellows from the Managing Children’s Services committee. You may see me pop up again tomorrow afternoon when my coworkers and I discuss outreach.

For those who are unsure about presenting or are nervous about presenting on a national stage, here are some helpful tips that I have learned or used along the way:

• Presentation applications are due EARLY. Start watching for announcements in late summer/early fall 2025 for the 2026 ALSC National Institute.
• Keep in mind that children’s librarians are interesting. We all have different experiences, and libraries and I want to hear about what is interesting to you. If you are on the fence about presenting, talk about the possibility with your network and see if you can start to find a common theme.
• It is extremely helpful to create an outline as you are designing your presentation proposal. This will help make your application process easier as you fill in answers to the questions. It will also make it easier when you start writing your actual presentation.
• I started working on my presentations with the two teams in late spring. Keep in mind when your busy times are at work and work around that. Summer Reading is extremely busy for me so that is not my ideal presentation writing time.
• Even though Institute is in mid-late September, think of Labor Day as your deadline. This will have you finishing the bulk of your work, and you will have time to fine tune and practice.
• Leave time to practice, both on your own and as a part of your team. If you wait until the last minute, life sometimes likes to laugh at you and you end up with COVID for the 10 days before Institute (true story!).
• Some people work best with an outline and some work best with a script. If you are a script person, make the font larger so it is easier for you to see as you glance down to follow. When my font is smaller, it does sometimes cause me to stumble and then I end up on tangents.
• On the day of your presentation, show up early if you can to make sure that all of your technology is working. Once you are set, use a way that is helpful to you to help keep nerves at bay. For today’s presentation, we played music for the 15 minutes before in our room as people came in.
• Finally, keep in mind that children’s librarians tend not to be scary people. So while it may feel intimidating to get up in front of a group, your audience will be kind and want you to succeed.

So while you are watching and listening around your presentations and discussions this weekend, remember that it is never too soon to start thinking of ideas!

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Conference Blogger Lisa Mulvenna (she/her/hers) is the Head of Children’s and Teen Services at Clinton-Macomb Public Library. You can also find her online on X @lmulvenna. She is looking forward to networking with colleagues and the ability to share ideas. This is her 3^rd ALSC Institute and she will be presenting on both Friday and Saturday.

Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.