There are a variety of services that the library can provide! Click on the name of each service to learn more about it.
You must have a barcode on the back of your student ID to check out books. If you do not have a barcode, come to the library and ask for one.
Library Hours
Monday-Thursday 7:30 am-7 pm
Guidelines for student conduct in the library
Choosing a Topic
Don't just Google "speech topics" and choose from a boring, overdone list. Instead, think about things that interest, irritate, or excite you. Various life experiences or things you've learned about in the past can be used for a great speech topic.
Researching a Topic
Using your life experiences and interests is a great way to start your speech. However, you'll need to be more in-depth research to ensure that your speech is accurate and provides context for assertions and positions that you hold. You can research a topic in a variety of ways, including reading books, searching databases, and reading online blogs, articles, and newspapers.
We have a variety of things available for you to research your topic in the library:
The librarian can help you with one-on-one searching and in-depth research
Databases (seen below) can be used to find in-depth academic journals and newspapers. They are available anywhere you have Internet access.
Magazines are available in the library and some are available online. See what magazines and topics are available here: http://library.aaart.edu/c.php?g=270656&p=6353498
Books are available in the library and can be checked out. Some of the most relevant ones about speech are seen to the right of this box. You can also find books about your specific topic.
Computers are available when the library is open for Internet research, accessing databases, the library website (also available anywhere you have Internet access), and other research.
Keep in mind that researching is not a straight, easy to follow path. Oftentimes, you will find information that changes the way you think about the topic, the way your speech is written, and sometimes even your choice of topic itself.
Databases To Use
The slideshow in this guide titled "Topic Selection Presentation" provides more information about choosing & researching a topic.
Speak Without Fear by
For many of us, public speaking is at best a chore marked by great anxiety and at worst a potential career stopper. Ours is a time when the ability to communicate in front of individuals or groups in all types of business and other situations is becoming paramount. Speak Without Fear offers a unique, practical process for combating the stage fright that plagues us every day in these situations. Unlike other books on public speaking, Speak Without Fear goes beyond the external techniques, such as how to breathe properly and keep eye contact, to delve deeply into the reason for your performance anxiety. It gets to the root of what's giving you the sweats so you can identify what's in the way and work through it to communicate naturally and comfortably before audiences of any size. Ivy Naistadt's easy-to-follow, step-by-step program will help you: Identify the degree and type of your nervousness Pinpoint the incidents and issues that, directly or indirectly, cause you fear and loathing in the spotlight Develop and master a technique for over-coming your anxiety that's adaptable to your level of experience and need Use your new skills to shine in a variety of situations -- whether speech making, interviewing, auditioning, or presenting No matter how anxious you are about going before an audience -- any audience, whether it's 1 or 1,000 -- Speak Without Fear will give you the tools to speak powerfully and persuasively.
Public Speaking by
Many public speaking texts take students through a number of chapters of theory and advice before getting to the different types of speeches (e.g., informative, persuasive, special occasion, and small group presentations) that they will give. This innovative new book provides students with the tools they need to speak confidently earlier in the course. Based on her many years of teaching experience, Sherry Devereaux Ferguson outlines an additive approach to public speaking, providing a foundational overview at the beginning of the book. Each subsequent chapter presents the information and skills necessary to fulfill that chapter's assignment. This organization allows students to master skills incrementally and--in the process--to begin speaking earlier. With a goal of building competency in stages, Ferguson's sure-footed method leads to more confident and effective speakers. Paying special attention to audience analysis and rhetorical criticism, this distinctive text also offers a strong ethical foundation for the act of public speaking. Features * Assignment-based: Organizes content around speech assignments rather than topics, allowing professors to introduce practical work early in the course * Additive in approach: Allows the student to apply principles learned earlier in the course and also to acquire additional knowledge and skills with each new assignment * Innovative: Incorporates a number of unique features such as the critical communication model, which offers an ethical component; chapters on professional speechwriting and rhetorical analysis; a discussion of PowerPoint presentations; and novel assignments such as a speech of welcome, a coffee shop discussion on ethics, and a team presentation based on theories of multiple intelligence Providing an abundance of examples, tips from professionals, sample student speeches, and visuals, Public Speaking: Building Competency in Stages helps students to overcome their fears by equipping them with the tools they need to speak confidently in any context.
iSpeak by
McGraw-Hill conducted extensive market research with over 4,000 students to gain insight into their studying and buying behavior. Students told us they wanted more portable texts with innovative visual appeal and content that is designed according to the way they learn. We also surveyed instructors, and they told us they wanted a way to engage their students without compromising on high quality content. Freedom of speech and public speaking are critical components of a healthy democracy. iSpeak promotes this declaration by using examples that reflect vital personal, social, and political themes that portray campus communities across the country. iSpeak consistently demonstrates that public communication is directly related to what people care about, what people want, and what people do. New to iSpeak is Connect Public Speaking - a dynamic and powerful web-based learning management platform with the student experience at its core. Informed by extensive research conducted with both instructors and students, Connect is designed to help students earn better grades and save instructors valuable time, whether teaching a face to face, online, or hybrid course. More current, more portable, more captivating, plus a rigorous and innovative research foundation adds up to: more learning. When you meet students where they are, you can take them where you want them to be.
