Toastmasters has been helping people learn the fine art of speaking in public for over 80 years, and two of the metro area clubs meet weekly at a pair of Metropolitan Library System’s libraries. Mid-Del Toastmasters meets on Tuesday evening at 6:00 at the Midwest City Library, 8143 E. Reno. The Let’s Talk Club meets at Ralph Ellison Library, 2000 N.E. 23, on Wednesday evenings at 6:00. “Nervousness is natural when you have to make a presentation to a roomful of people,” said Deb Willis, Midwest City Manager of Library Operations, “but the training and support offered by Toastmasters can take a lot of the tension out of the affair.” Since there are no formal trainers with Toastmasters, everyone contributes advice drawn from experience so participants not only speak to their peers, but they learn from them as well.

Toastmasters International enters the new century as the undisputed world leader in public speaking training, with over 10,500 clubs and more than 200,000 members in approximately 90 countries. The Midwest City Library and Ralph Ellison Library meetings are open to anyone. For more information, call the libraries: Midwest City’s number is 732-4828, and Ralph Ellison’s is 424-1437.

The Metropolitan Library System of Oklahoma County includes 12 libraries and five extension libraries. Libraries include Belle Isle, Capitol Hill, Ralph Ellison, Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library and Southern Oaks in Oklahoma City, as well as Bethany, Choctaw, Del City, Edmond, Midwest City, Village and Warr Acres. Extensions are located in the communities of Harrah, Jones, Luther and Nicoma Park and include Wright Library in Oklahoma City . You can also reach us at www.metrolibrary.org.