This paper discusses the challenges of finding evidence needed to implement Evidence-Based Librarianship (EBL). Focusing first on database coverage for three health sciences librarianship journals, the article examines the information contents of different databases. Strategies are needed to search for relevant evidence in the library literature via these databases, and the problems associated with searching the grey literature of librarianship. Database coverage, plausible search strategies, and the grey literature of library science all pose challenges to finding the needed research evidence for practicing EBL. Health sciences librarians need to ensure that systems are designed that can track and provide access to needed research evidence to support Evidence-Based Librarianship (EBL).

ObjectiveWhat roles do librarians and information professionals play in conducting systematic reviews? Librarians are increasingly called upon to be involved in systematic reviews, but no study has considered all the roles librarians can perform. This inventory of existing and emerging roles aids in defining librarians’ systematic reviews services.MethodsFor this scoping review, the authors conducted controlled vocabulary and text-word searches in the PubMed; Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts; and CINAHL databases. We separately searched for articles published in the Journal of the European Association for Health Information and Libraries, Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, the Journal of the Canadian Heath Libraries Association, and Hypothesis. We also text-word searched Medical Library Association annual meeting poster and paper abstracts.ResultsWe identified 18 different roles filled by librarians and other information professionals in conducting systematic reviews from 310 different articles, book chapters, and presented papers and posters. Some roles were well known such as searching, source selection, and teaching. Other less documented roles included planning, question formulation, and peer review. We summarize these different roles and provide an accompanying bibliography of references for in-depth descriptions of these roles.ConclusionLibrarians play central roles in systematic review teams, including roles that go beyond searching. This scoping review should encourage librarians who are fulfilling roles that are not captured here to document their roles in journal articles and poster and paper presentations.

PurposeThe paper seeks to describe the EBL process in sufficient detail that the readers can apply it to their own professional practice.Design/methodology/approachThe paper takes the form of a narrative literature review.FindingsThe EBL process can be summarized through its five steps: formulate a clearly defined, relevant, and answerable question; search for an answer in both the published and unpublished literature, plus any other authoritative resources, for the best available evidence; critically appraise the evidence; assess the relative value of expected benefits and costs of any decided upon action plan; and evaluate the effectiveness of the action plan.Originality/valueReferences for readers to pursue more in‐depth research into any particular step or a specific aspect of the EBL process are provided. The EBL process assists librarians in applying the best available evidence to answering the more important questions facing their practice, their institutions, and the profession. This evidence can become the basis for making sound decisions.

SPA has not been rigorously tested, particularly in medical education. Future, similarly rigorous studies could further validate use of SPA so that librarians can optimally make use of limited contact time for information skills training in medical school curricula.

UNMSOM) stands out as a relatively young medical school in the USA. It was established in 1961 to educate physicians to serve this largely rural state (Association of American Medical Colleges, 2002). UNMSOM ranked sixth in the nation for medical schools in primary care (Morse and Flanigan, 2003) and second for rural health (Brink, 1998) in the US News and World Report evaluations of US medical schools. Medical students work at times with practicing preceptor physicians in rural areas separated by vast, lonely stretches of mountains and desert.UNMSOM faculty members have possessed an active interest in experimenting with innovative approaches to medical education for most of this medical school's existence. UNMSOM has utilized a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum (Kaufman and Obenshain, 1985;Donner and Bickley, 1993) since 1979. Initially, only 20 out of a total of 75 medical students per incoming class were eligible to learn medicine in a separate PBL curricular track (Mennin et al., 1987;Waterman et al., 1988Waterman et al., , 1991. The UNMSOM transitioned to a curriculum in which all incoming medical students could learn medicine in PBL tutorial groups during 1993. The UNM Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center has played a consistent role in serving the UNMSOM PBL curriculum