Kathy Johnson, Dowagiac District Library director, will present a professional workshop at the Michigan Library Association’s Spring Institute April 9 in Kalamazoo.

Attendees will learn presentation and book promotion skills as they earn continuing education credits (CEUs) for certification to work in public and district libraries throughout Michigan.

“This workshop will demonstrate to library professionals, sure-fire methods in promoting reading and books through public library programming. That is, this will surely light a fire of enthusiasm, not this will surely get you fired! I believe in defining terms!” Ms. Johnson quipped.

Book talks, in the lexicon of librarians, can be daunting to present.

They can be one of the more scary types of speeches a person can make.

There are various goals to achieve in any successful book talk.

And this workshop will provide instruction and resources to insure success on each level of expertise.

Ms. Johnson has recently been appointed director of the Dowagiac District Library.

She began her official duties on March 1 of this year, having come from the Dowagiac Union School District, where she was a library media specialist.

She holds a master’s degree in the teaching of reading and librarianship from Western Michigan University and is an MLIS candidate from Wayne State University.