At A Library Superconference, Quiet Author Susan Cain Talks About Introverts

What better audience for Susan Cain to present her book Quiet to than a group of librarians? Last week, the bestselling author and popular keynote speaker gave a rousing speech at the Ontario Library Assocation's 2013 conference. And she wasn't "shh'd" once! Hosted in Toronto, the event brought librarians from around the province together—and Cain was a real hit. Despite being a self-professed introvert who spent a full year perfecting her stage presence, Cain was poised and natural in front of the large audience. She shared material from her book, and then signed copies and had a meet-and-greet with a huge line-up of eager fans after the talk.



In the speech, Cain explained the many reasons why the talents of the introverted portion of the population are being overlooked—and why that needs to change. More people are introverted than you'd think and it's important to embrace their unique talents instead of trying to make them into something they are not. There is no right personality style to have, she says, and having a mix of introverts and extroverts makes for the most productive environments. The two types of people compliment each other and have a lot to teach the other—so long as both types of being are valued equally. Throughout her presentation, the audience was visibly engaged and interacted with the material. Nodding heads in the crowd and raised hands proved that Cain's subject matter really resonated with the audience. Similar to her other highly requested talks, Cain combined her intriguing research with lighthearted humor to teach the crowd about the power of the introvert—and why we need all types of personalities to build effective teams.