This post is generously contributed by April Manabat, RL, MLIS, a Senior Expert Librarian at the Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan.
With the ever-changing informational landscape not to mention the continuous struggle to demonstrate value, librarians are now encouraged to be evidence-based in making decisions to ensure smooth library operations. Being evidence-based requires librarians to conscientiously make decisions supported by evidence to comprehend their users’ needs, thus, improving their service delivery. Coupled with local knowledge and professional expertise, the use of research evidence is crucial, further bridging the gap between research and practice in librarianship (Koufogiannakis, 2015).
A Humble Attempt
In December 2024, The NU Library’s Eurasian Academic Libraries Training (EALT) made a humble attempt to introduce evidence-based library and information practice (EBLIP) or evidence-based librarianship (EBL) among Kazakhstani librarians. The training was attended by more than 50 librarians across the country who were eager to develop their professional competencies and learn the best practices intended to improve their library services in their respective institutions. The attendees were composed of librarians taking various roles such as managers and directors who were expected to prepare various related reports either on monthly or quarterly basis (60%) and had been asked to make decisions constantly (80%). Unfortunately, while most of them used and analyzed local knowledge such as statistics, feedback, and observations (40%) and trusted their knowledge and experiences (20%) in making decisions, none of them mentioned that they used scientific research data to back up their decisions.
An Insightful Discussion on Evidence
The discussion was indeed insightful. During the discussion, the librarians were introduced to the essential concepts of evidence-based library and information practice (EBLIP) highlighting its six steps: Articulate, Assemble, Assess, Agree/Apply, Adapt (Koufogiannakis & Brettle, 2016), and Announce/Advocate (Thorpe, 2021). Kazakhstani librarians believe that evidence is needed to ensure that decisions are based on facts rather than on outdated ideas, unfounded opinions, and prejudices. They also noted that using evidence creates dignity and credibility of the profession, thus, increasing its value. Most of the librarians agreed that the use of factual information such as statistics, reports, and analysis were considered essential to ensure the validity of evidence. However, while they understand the pivotal role of evidence in making decisions, they also noted that some evidence might not be available for them due to confidentiality; they find it difficult to identify or choose which evidence to use; evidence might be prone to manipulation and outdated, thus making it unsuitable to use; some were finding it difficult or lazy to search for evidence; and lastly, its tedious and time-consuming.
During the workshop, librarians were asked to articulate the problems in some given cases using the PICO (population-intervention-comparison-outcome) method which originated from evidence-based medicine (EBM). This is the first step in EBLIP. While most of the librarians understood the importance of defining the problem in each context, they found it difficult to identify the problem, assemble the evidence, and apply the evidence in making decisions.
Moving Forward
While EBLIP has been a talked of the town in the profession for quite some time now, it seems to be a relatively new topic among Kazakhstani librarians. There is a noticeable interest among librarians on EBLIP, however, there is a lack of knowledge and understanding of its application in the library setting. This is a good opportunity for librarians to develop their decision-making skills in various capabilities. Understanding the value and importance of being evidence-based in making decisions should not be ignored by any professions, librarians included. More than collecting statistics, descriptively analyzing them, and creating typical accomplishment reports when asked, librarians should be encouraged to demonstrate their value and uphold the credibility and dignity of the profession with the use of evidence to support them. After all, librarians and information professionals are expected to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in searching, evaluating, and using information (aka evidence) effectively to make informed decisions.
References
Koufogiannakis, D. (2015). Determinants of evidence use in academic librarian decision
making. College & Research Libraries, 76(1), 100-114. doi:https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.76.1.100
Koufogiannakis, D. & Brettle, A. (2016). A new framework for EBLIP. In A. Brettle & D.
Koufogiannakis (Eds.), Being Evidence Based in Library and Information Practice (pp. 11–18). Facet. https://doi.org/10.29085/9781783301454
Nazarbayev University Library. (2024). Eurasian Academic Libraries Training 2024.
https://library.nu.edu.kz/ealt
Thorpe, C. (2021). Announcing and advocating: The missing step in the EBLIP model.
Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 16(4), 118–125. https://doi.org/10.18438/eblip30044