EBLIP: How You Know, Where You Go, and What You Show

In this era of accountability, school librarians are asked to provide evidence that they contribute to student learning. In the following sections, we will combine the perspectives of two school library educators (Jennifer Richey and Maria Cahill) who have recently studied Evidence Based Library and Information Practice (EBLIP) with that of a school librarian who has recently completed a Master of Library Science degree and is serving preK-12 students in an international school (Wendy Wagner).

Of Course We're Valuable!

Wendy Wagner (WW) —

"Ms. Wagner, I found my book in the database, but it's checked out. Can you show me how to put it on hold?"—Third grader

"We have a new student in our class today, Ms. Wagner. Can I show him how to find books after he looks them up the online catalog?"—Fourth grader

"Guess what we did in class this week? We looked up information for a report, and I remembered how to use advanced search."—Fifth grader

"Can I use the iPad to write a book recommendation and send it to my friends in the online catalog?"—Fourth grader

"I love that book! Can we read it again?"—Second grader

"How do you suggest I utilize the iPads in my classroom teaching?"—Elementary teacher

"Can you teach my students some research tools they can use other than standard search engines?"—Middle school teacher

These are the types of comments I hear regularly in our libraries. They are indicative of the many ways school librarians teach students and support classroom teachers. These are not the only tasks a school librarian performs, however. We also plan and teach collaboratively with other teachers, maintain databases, introduce technology, help students explore information, and so forth.

Jennifer Richey (JR) — School librarians can easily tell you their library programs positively contribute to student learning outcomes, and research in the library field supports these claims. Multiple points of evidence, including significant reductions in both library funding and certified librarians from schools, as well as dialogue within the popular press, suggest decision-making stakeholders may not be aware of the positive correlation between the school library program and student academic success, including standardized test scores. Stakeholders cannot inherently know school librarians' value and contributions to student learning. They must be told through the language of the day: data. The most effective means of producing relevant and meaningful data demonstrating accountability is through EBLIP.

What is EBLIP

WW — What is EBLIP? Earth Bound Leopards in Pajamas? That sounds like a great title for a zany story, but as a librarian, what does it mean for me? How does it tie in with our ESLR's, SLAM, and our ES AS's? I only have forty-five minutes with each class. That does not give me much time for more programs.

JR — EBLIP is a systematic and cyclical process for gathering and sharing data and has multiple benefits. EBLIP:

• Provides a practical means for improving programming and service
• Generates evidence relating the school library program to student learning
• Positions the librarian and the library program as essential to development of students
• Assists in the structured growth of the library program
• Justifies value of the library program
• Showcases the evidence-base of school librarianship
• Creates accountability

Gone are the days of library program evidence being limited to circulation statistics and informal observations. The EBLIP process begins with identifying school community needs and using relevant evidence from Library and Information Studies (LIS) standards, guidelines, literature, and research to develop and implement a plan. During and after implementation, meaningful and relevant data is collected, analyzed, and shared with stakeholders, including administrators, teachers, students, parents, and the larger community, thereby communicating the library program's contributions to student learning. If and when necessary, the goals and plan should be revised for future implementation.

How Do You Use EBLIP in the School Library?

WW — EBLIP sounds like a great idea in theory, but how do I fit it in to my day-to-day planning, teaching, and assessing? As I said, I only have forty-five minutes! EBLIP has to really be worth it for me to sacrifice time for it.

Maria Cahill (MC) — When school librarians use EBLIP, they use evidence for practice, evidence in practice, and evidence of practice. In utilizing evidence for practice, school librarians build programs, instruction, and collections based on practices and methods that have been researched and shown to be effective. They become aware of this evidence through professional development and professional reading. School librarians who use methods and techniques that are tried and true based on their own experience are employing evidence in practice. Finally, school librarians who evaluate their own programs through analysis of various data, including assessment data, are exercising evidence of practice (Todd 2007).

EBLIP should not be one more thing to fit in; it should be a natural part of the day-to-day process. However, it does take some advanced planning and intentionality for practice to be based for, in, and of evidence.

Who Really Uses EBLIP and How?

MC — After several semesters of teaching pre-service school librarians about EBLIP and formally studying their understanding, application, and anticipated implementation of EBLIP (Cahill and Richey 2012), we were curious to know if school librarians in the field were actually doing what we were telling our students that they should be doing. To satisfy these curiosities and to advance EBLIP scholarship, we surveyed a random sample of school librarians to answer the following questions:

• To what extent do school librarians apply components of EBLIP to practice?
• To what extent do school librarians share EBLIP data and with whom?
• To what extent has formal LIS education supported school librarians' applications of EBLIP?

After analyzing our results, we wondered how we might parcel out what is from what should be, and how a school librarian who is currently doing things the way they have always been done might be able to move toward full integration of EBLIP.

JR — A total of 111 practicing school librarians completed our online survey. A large majority indicated they engage in evidence for practice, meaning they used professional journals and national and state-level standards and guidelines when building school library programs. They also collected evidence to guide the decision-making process, most frequently through informal solicitation.

WW — I agree that it is easiest to use professional journals, state standards, and guidelines as found in the study.

My school requires that we garner information from students twice a year on topics related to how I run the library. That information is for my personal benefit, however.

MC — Yes, school librarians seem to be very good at keeping up to date by reading professional journals, and interacting with library colleagues and leaders through social networking and interactive Web 2.0 tools.

Soliciting feedback from students in the formal way that you describe is very useful. Knowing the students' needs and wants helps a school librarian tailor instruction and programming. However, it is not enough to stop with students. Consider garnering input from other stakeholders. Imagine how valuable it would be to know the needs of teachers, administrators, parents, and community members, too.

JR —Evidence in practice varied considerably. While library mission statements were common, goal-writing and long-range planning behaviors were much less so. Respondents relied more frequently on pragmatic ways of knowing than on research-based practices.

WW — In my experience, I think goal-writing and long-range planning is inhibited by the administration's lack of interest. I have tried to involve administrators and teachers, but I have not had much success. They are not interested in library policy.

MC — True, administrators are less interested when the goal-writing and long-range planning are library-centric. However, try coordinating the school library goals with those of the school-as-a-whole. It is then easier for administrators and teachers to see how the library helps address school efforts and impacts student achievement.

JR — Implementing evidence of practice is common among respondents; however, the data collected, used to assess the program, and shared with stakeholders focused more on anecdotal evidence, circulation statistics, collection age, and use of funding much more frequently than data connecting the library program to student learning outcomes.

WW — When the school director wants information, it is requested in the form of number of volumes in the collection, circulation statistics, and other such information. Plus, it seems like many stakeholders are disinterested and/or uninvolved, or they simply do not have enough knowledge to be interested.

MC — Yes, often administrators only ask for information such as that mentioned, but would it not behoove you to also present stakeholders with information about how you contribute to student learning? I am sure that you assess students as a natural part of the teaching process. Consider analyzing that data more closely and presenting it, along with the traditionally requested information, in a readable format such as an infographic.

JR — Engaging in EBLIP is a means of garnering interest and support for the library program. By providing the aforementioned infographic, you are quickly and clearly providing stakeholders with knowledge about the positive relationship between student learning and the library program. In our study, 25.2% of respondents (n=28) indicated they experienced positive changes for the library program when sharing data with stakeholders, including gaining, increasing, or securing support, funding, and interaction between the library and other campus entities, among other benefits. They can't know if you don't show.

How Do We Get There from Here?

WW — Where do I begin? People are very busy—just keeping afloat is a challenge on some days.

MC — There is no doubt that administrators, teachers, and librarians are all very busy. Yet, EBLIP does not have to be one more thing. You are already soliciting information from stakeholders, you are already staying abreast of the professional literature, and you are already assessing instruction. The challenge for you is to begin to gather your evidence and to present it.

JR — Evidence-based practice can be confusing and overwhelming at first, but keep in mind that EBLIP does not necessarily require a massive overhaul of the library program. Start small and then add on. Consider the return on your time and energy investment. With a little extra time and effort in planning, data collecting, and communicating, you are providing solid evidence that the school library program is indeed a valuable entity in the school community.

Further Reading

Cahill, Maria, and Jennifer Richey. "Integration of Evidence-Based Library and Information Practice into School Library Education: A Case Study." School Libraries Worldwide 18, no. 2 (July 2012): 95-105.

Todd, Ross J. "Evidence-based Practice and School Libraries: From Advocacy to Action." In School Reform and the School Library Media Specialist, edited by Sandra Hughes-Hassell and Violet Harada, 57-78. Libraries Unlimited, 2007.