<em>Being Evidence Based in Library and Information Practice</em>. Eds. Denise Koufogiannakis and Alison Brettle. London: Facet Publishing, 2016. xiv, 224p. Paper, $75.00 (ISBN 978-1-78330-071-6).

Abstract

In the penultimate chapter of this work, contributor Bill Fisher asks a rhetorical question: “Evidence-based library and information practice; who could argue or take issue with an idea like that?” (151). In an edited volume examining “evidence based library and information practice” (EBLIP), this question is not tongue-in-cheek. Common sense, or perhaps wishful thinking, suggests that librarians already employ information in their decision-making. It is therefore necessary to clarify that the authors have a specific definition for being “evidence based.” They define EBLIP as “approaching [library] practice with a particular mindset,” arguing “being evidence based means that you consider your practice from a curious and questioning perspective, with a view to continuous improvement… you question what you are currently doing and think about possible ways to do things better” (165). The work, with its fourteen short chapters, examines the processes by which information is gathered, processed, and acted upon.