Evidence Based Practice is being championed as one of the core values in the new We are CILIP strategy, meaning that the work and activity of the Library and Information Research Group (LIRG) could become all the more prolific within our professional community.

In February, CILIP launched its new five-year strategy and action plan, We are CILIP which sets out the key themes, priorities and values that will define the future of our professional community.  Based on conversations with its members, at the heart of the strategy is a vision of a professional community, dedicated to changing lives through quality information, services and expertise

One of the values which the strategy champions as uniting the profession is that of evidence based practice (EBP).  EBP is an approach that promotes the collection, interpretation and integration of the best available evidence to improve the quality of professional decision making.  Best available evidence may mean research evidence or that created through evaluation, local data or the views of service users.  For librarians in practice, EBP can provide a bridge between research and practice. As a CILIP special interest group whose mission is to raise the profile of library and information science research and encourage it into practice – LIRG was delighted to see the value of Evidence Based Practice highlighted in the We are CILIP strategy in this way.