International evidence-based librarianship conference, Brisbane, 16-19 October 2005.(Conference Report)(Library and Information Science )

A relatively new area of librarianship, evidence-based practice owes its genesis to the move to evidence-based medicine and to a move to develop more scientifically valid means of LIS research.

 
   Evidence-based librarianship (EBL) is an approach to information 
   science that promotes the collection, interpretation, and 
   integration of valid, important and applicable user-reported, 
   librarian-observed, and research-derived evidence. The 
   best-available evidence moderated by user needs and preferences, 
   is applied to improve the quality of professional judgements. (1) 

Approximately 200 attended the conference, from many countries around the world. The UK, Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand were all represented, with a very stimulating mix of practitioners and researchers/academics. The focus was on developments in evidence: linking research with practice. A range of workshops and presentations throughout the event elicited much greater interaction and questioning than generally occurs in LIS conferences.

To summarise the key points of the conference I have borrowed a methodology from Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage to look at some of our LIS myths and how they fared using evidence from the conference.

Myth 1. Library and Information Science Practitioners and Researchers are not undertaking Research

At the conference a wide range of research projects in library and information science were reported and discussed. Joanne…