Course Overview

Now more than ever, library and information services need to evolve at a rapid pace to keep up with changes in their communities, operating and strategic environments. But how do we ensure service decisions and improvements generate value for our communities and demonstrate impact to leaders and other stakeholders? Evidence-based practice is a framework, or an approach that promotes critical thinking about services, programs, collections, and spaces, and enables continuous improvement with the integration of a range of evidence to professional practice.  
 
But evidence-based practice isn’t just for the higher-ups. Evidence-based practice is a critical skillset for all library and information professionals and can be led at any level. This course will empower participants to integrate evidence-based practice approaches to day-to-day work by focusing on becoming evidence-based library and information professionals. It provides an opportunity to explore the evidence-based library and information practice process and develop an evidence-based practice ‘mindset’ to services and professional practice.  

Course Content and Outcomes

This course will provide participants with the knowledge, practical skills and tools that enable the evidence-based practice mindset and approaches in day-to-day professional practice and service delivery. The course focuses on applying evidence-based practice and approaches to real life scenarios and settings. 

Specifically, the course will cover: - 

• how evidence-based practice, as a mindset, promotes an agile way of working and alignment between library and information services and their clients and communities
• how to become an evidence-based library and information professional by: - 

           - noticing practice and service issues, opportunities, questions,  
           - leading conversations and applying evidence towards solving problems, making decisions and improvements,
           - presenting evidence, sharing stories and lessons with others

• the evidence-based library and information practice process in day-to-day work
• frameworks for understanding evidence-based practice in library and information settings, including articulating questions and evidence needs and how evidence is used
• how to appraise a range of evidence, including understanding limitations and potential impacts on making decisions
• evidence-based library and information practice in teams and organisational settings 

Suitable for those who...

• work in any type/sector of library or information service and are interested in how to apply, or wish to improve skills related to evidence-based practice in day-to-day scenarios and service delivery
• are managers in library and information services looking to introduce or incorporate evidence-based practice as a way of working for their team/s 
• are studying to become a library and information professional, looking to add evidence-based practice to their skillset 

Course Delivery and Commitment

This course will be developed and facilitated by Alisa Howlett, a recognised library and information professional who possesses a track record of contributing to evidence-based practice research, knowledge, and capability, locally and abroad. Alisa will share her evidence-based library and information practice (EBLIP) expertise developed through both research and practitioner roles, including her past role dedicated to building EBLIP capacity across library teams at the University of Southern Queensland. 
 
Participants will have opportunities to connect with each other via discussion forums and online workshops. Although real-time online workshops and/or presentations will be scheduled throughout the course, these will be recorded and made available to participants. 
 
Participants will need access to a computer/laptop with online participation capability such as a headset, headphones and/or microphone, as well as internet access. 
 
The course is designed to run actively for 4 weeks, with an additional two weeks allowed for final submission of work and feedback if required. For variations beyond this time, please contact Alisa. It is recommended that participants dedicate about five hours per week to complete the course. 
 
Participants will be required to complete activities and check their learning with quizzes and contribution to discussions to ensure achievement of course learning outcomes. A template for an evidence-based practice plan will be provided and participants will have the option to submit a completed plan for feedback.  
 
Active participation will help participants gain the most from this course as discussion with others about evidence-based practice has proven to be beneficial in enhancing understanding about what evidence-based practice looks like in different scenarios and service settings. 
 
Learning platform for this course will be Moodle on the ALIA platform. 

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