"Or do people just want the lyrics to a song for them [to] read it acapella at a poetry reading?"

Chords are fine if that's what you want. Ever heard of a cappella singing, Chico?

At the risk of starting what I'm sure has been discussed here before, the term "folk music" is too general. Some folk music gatherings I've been at had everyone playing their own guitar (or banjo, or mandolin, etc.) And, as someone else here has pointed out, there can be more than one set of chords to a given song. Some gatherings have everyone with the Rise Up Singing book and insisting that a song be played in the key written in the book.

So, by all means, give the chords for a song but don't expect others to want or need to do things your way. I just say this because you sound kind of frantic.