Evidence Based Librarianship: how to make better decisions in library practice
by Anne Brice, Oxford, UK and Andrew Booth, Sheffield, UK

Evidence-Based Librarianship
Evidence based practice began within healthcare but has recently migrated to such fields as education, social work and human resource management. It involves applying results from rigorous research studies to professional practice in order to improve the quality of services to clients, customers and users. Many librarians and information workers working in the academic and professional sectors will encounter the skills and techniques of evidence based practice in meeting the day-to-day needs of their users. Familiarity with these methods has caused an increasing number of information professionals to turn a critical eye to their own practice. Is it possible to adapt this model to information practice? Are the skills and techniques of evidence based practice directly transferable to our profession? Is it practical, desirable and useful for information professionals to integrate research findings into their day to day decision-making? Which topics from within our professional practice are most amenable to an evidence-based approach?

Evidence based librarianship is definitely one of the most significant contemporary developments in professional library practice. Its influence has been seen in an increasing number of articles, the second international conference on the topic and in a forthcoming book by Andrew Booth and Anne Brice to appear in late 2003. Andrew Booth and Anne Brice have been involved in numerous training events within this field and are acknowledged among the international leaders in this field.

Course Description:
This workshop, which focuses on Evidence-based Librarianship, aims to increase librarian skills in reading, interpreting and applying their professional research literature. The day will introduce such concepts as focused questions, research design, and the use of statistics. Practical sessions will include identifying evidence in support of a business case and will utilize a range of study designs including case control, cohort studies and randomized controlled trials.

Aims:
To provide a practical introduction to evidence based information practice. To equip participants with the skills required to practise evidence based practice in their workplace.

Objectives:
As a result of attending this course, participants will:

• Be able to identify key areas of their practice that can be informed by research evidence.
• Be able to articulate questions from common library practice which are answerable either from the literature or from good practice.
• Understand the main types of research design and their contribution to addressing questions from professional practice.
• Be able to work in teams to appraise and implement evidence from the research literature within their workplace.

Numbers: 15 -20

Teaching method:
Problem-based small group work and facilitation

Prior knowledge/experience/commitment required:
Participants would benefit from having had prior experience of a wide range of library activities e.g. enquiry work, acquisitions, interlibrary loans, literature searching etcetera although this is not essential.
Previous experience of general critical appraisal although advantageous is not considered essential.

Trainers:
Anne Brice, Director of Knowledge & Information Sciences, Public Health Resource Unit, Oxford Andrew Booth, Director of Information Resources and Senior Lecturer in Evidence Based Health Care Information, University of Sheffield

About the trainers:
Andrew Booth has twenty years’ experience as a health information professional, most recently at the School of Health and Related Research as Director of Information Resources. Andrew is an experienced trainer of NHS Librarians in literature searching and critical appraisal having developed and delivered programmes for South Thames, Trent, Northern and Yorkshire, South West, and North West and Wales regional & national library services and for the Department of Health Library. He is on the Editorial Boards of Evidence Based Healthcare, Journal of Clinical Excellence and Health Information and Libraries Journal (formerly Health Libraries Review). He chairs the Health Libraries Group’s Research Working Party.
Anne Brice has twenty one years experience as an information professional, gained mainly in the academic and health sectors. Anne is currently Director of Knowledge & Information Sciences, Public Health Resource Unit, Oxford. She has extensive experience of involvement in co-ordinating and facilitating training, networking, and co-operation among libraries at a regional and national level. Anne has been responsible for developing the CASP Finding the Evidence Workshop programme and has also been actively involved in developing CASP Open learning, CD-ROM and web based materials. She is currently seconded to the National electronic Library for Health, where she is responsible for the Specialist Libraries programme.