I'd just respect her and give her the reassurance that she needs, my dd has just come out of this. Basically, I'd continue to hold her, offer her to someone else to hold, but often she'd turn her head away, so I went with it and didn't push it (often after about 10mins she'd start to show interest in the other person and warm up to them if not pushed into it). If someone got in her face and was chatting to her and she turned away or looked like she was going to cry I just asked whoever it was that it might be best that they step away from her (I was careful not to label her as shy or whatever, but just explained that she was going through a bit of separation anxiety - mostly for their benefit because others seem to take it a bit personally). Yesterday was the first day that I was able to leave her on someone's lap while I left the room and took Nathan to the toilet - she was fine and laterr in the day I was able to put her down on the floor at my feet with a roomful of strangers and she crawled off over to play). As long as she learns that her needs will be met by you, that you are there for her, she will gain security in that and then when she's comfortable will happily start to go to others in her own time.
HTH
