Presentation Software: Tools to Engage an Audience

• Published in: Public Services Quarterly Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 310 - 320
• Main Authors: Whitmer, Susan, Cool, Christina, Mims, Amanda
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Binghamton Routledge 01-10-2016; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Audiences; Haiku Deck; Librarians; one-shot instruction; Pecha Kucha; powerpoint; Presentain; presentation skills; student satisfaction; User training; visual learning
• ISSN: 1522-8959; 1522-9114
• DOI: 10.1080/15228959.2016.1233084

Column description. The Technology column examines current and developing technology topics in libraries. The column's focus is creative uses of technology, introductions to new technologies, and critiques of current technologies, their uses, or their future. Readers interested in contributing ideas or writings to this column may contact column co-editors Suzanne Townsdin and Susan Whitmer.
"Presentation software: Tools to engage an audience" explores three specific tools to communicate ideas that librarians have successfully used in library instruction. The three tools presented in this article are Haiku Deck, Pecha Kucha, and Presentain. These tools provide dynamic audience engagement using visual structure and audience participation. This information about presentation tools will help presenters gain confidence to try a variety of techniques. Librarians will learn how to tailor each presentation tool through practical demonstrations by librarians who create presentations as instruction materials and conference programs. The three authors are librarians at Texas Woman's University. Amanda Mims and Susan Whitmer are instruction librarians and Christina Cool is an electronic resources librarian. Each librarian describes her chosen presentation tool by providing background information, practical tips to create a presentation, and the tool's shortcomings.