C-EBLIP's goal is to support the University Library librarians and archivists in their research endeavors and to promote evidence based library and information practice. As well, C-EBLIP will support established activities such as the Dean's Research Lecture Series, the Dean's Research and Innovation Fund, and the Researcher-in-Residence Program.
Vision: The Centre for Evidence Based Library and Information Practice will be the nexus for research and evidence based library and information practice at the University Library by being devoted to the idea that practitioner-researchers make a vital contribution to the University Library, the University of Saskatchewan, and the field and discipline of librarianship.
Mission: The Centre for Evidence Based Library and Information Practice’s mission is to support librarians as researchers and evidence based practitioners, to raise the profile of librarians as researchers on campus and beyond, and to enhance the University Library’s national and international reputation as a research organization.
Librarians as ResearchersFor librarians* at the University of Saskatchewan, research as faculty members is often, but not always, tied to the practice of professional skills. A librarian’s research may be in:
• applied scholarship - investigating the practice from within librarianship such as application of a new technology, management practices, the development of information delivery methods and services, application of teaching methods, or development of standards for organizing information and library resources.
• subject scholarship - research in the literature of specific disciplines resulting in the publication of bibliographies, resource lists, internet site evaluations, translations, books, articles, etc.
• theoretical/policy scholarship - exploration of issues leading to the development of theory, policy and standards of practice for the library community. For example: copyright for digital resources, electronic licensing agreements, equity and sustainability of information access.
Librarians at the University Library conduct research in various areas of specialization such as evidence based library and information practice, health sciences librarianship, information seeking behaviour, open access and scholarly communication, digital preservation and curation, library leadership, change management, and more. Librarians are encouraged to submit their research to the University Library’s eCommons@usask, http://ecommons.usask.ca/handle/10388/7.
EBLIPThe Centre for Evidence Based Library and Information Practice takes as its context evidence based library and information practice (EBLIP). EBLIP is a way of practicing librarianship, offering both a conceptual framework and practical tools. EBLIP in a nutshell is essentially this: finding the best available research evidence and using it in a practice situation to inform decision making, policy, procedures, etc. Additionally, EBLIP encourages librarians to conduct their own research studies if the evidence is not available, and to add to the body of Library and Information Science (LIS) evidence by publishing or other means of dissemination. However, the idea is not to use research evidence to the exclusion of knowledge gained over the span of a professional career, discussions with colleagues, or common sense. Instead, the idea is to draw on research in addition to these methods of undertaking professional practice – it can provide a part of the picture that may have been missing until now.
*Throughout this website, the term librarian includes the University archivists.