After 15 years of shaping Australia's health librarians who support clinical evidence-based practice, the Australasian Evidence-Based Practice Librarians' Institute (AEBPLI) is reinventing itself to remain relevant.

On 22 October, AEBPLI will be delivered entirely online, transforming its long-standing one-week intensive into a six-week synchronous and asynchronous program. Participants will meet online each week for 3-hour interactive sessions, complemented by self-paced learning designed to fit around busy professional lives.

While the format is changing, the mission remains exactly the same: equipping health librarians with the advanced skills needed to support evidence-based healthcare and improve patient outcomes.

AEBPLI was established in 2010 by Connie Schardt and Lisa Kruesi in response to growing demand from Australian health librarians for advanced evidence-based practice training. Inspired by a similarly designed program developed by Connie Schardt for United States health care librarians, the Institute bought world-class education to Australia.

The inaugural Institute was held at The University of Queensland in 2011, with Lisa Kruesi serving as Co-Convenor and Suzanne Lewis joining as a tutor. Since then, AEBPLI has become a cornerstone of professional development for health librarians across Australia and New Zealand, equipping hundreds of participants with the advanced searching, critical appraisal and evidence synthesis skills that underpin evidence-based healthcare.

Behind the scenes, AEBPLI has always been a labour of passion. Operated through the generosity of volunteer convenors and tutors, the Institute has been delivered on a cost-recovery basis, supported by participant registrations and sponsorship. Demand has consistently exceeded available places, reflecting both the reputation of the program and the profession's commitment to lifelong learning.

But the world has changed.

Professional development budgets have tightened. Travel has become more difficult to justify. At the same time, health librarians are balancing increasing workloads while navigating rapidly evolving areas such as artificial intelligence, research support and digital health.

Rather than making assumptions about what participants needed, the AEBPLI team sought direct feedback.

A survey of library managers responsible for approving staff attendance confirmed what many across the profession had been experiencing. While the value of the Institute remained unquestioned and was widely regarded as an essential professional development opportunity for health librarians, the traditional delivery model was becoming increasingly difficult for many organisations to support.

Managers consistently reported that staff returned from AEBPLI with greater confidence and a stronger understanding of evidence-based practice. However, recently, these benefits were increasingly offset by practical constraints, including rising costs, limited professional development funding and the challenges of releasing staff for several days of face-to-face training.

Across the survey, a clear picture emerged. Managers wanted the same high-quality education but delivered in a way that was more accessible, more flexible and more sustainable. Hybrid and online learning were strongly supported, alongside shorter, modular sessions that could fit more easily around workplace commitments.

Importantly, respondents were not seeking to change the essence of AEBPLI. They wanted it to continue providing practical, clinically relevant education delivered by experienced health librarians actively supporting evidence-based practice. Opportunities to network and learn alongside colleagues who understand the unique challenges of health librarianship also remained a highly valued part of the experience.

Thus, a new six-week format has been built around that feedback.

By combining synchronous online workshops with asynchronous learning, AEBPLI maintains the collaborative, hands-on experience that participants value while removing many of the barriers that have prevented others from attending. The extended format also provides more opportunity for reflection, discussion and applying new skills between sessions.

In many ways, this next chapter reflects what evidence-based practice is all about: listening, evaluating and adapting.

As the Convenors reflected, ‘The survey didn't tell us to change who we are—it reminded us why AEBPLI matters. Going online isn't about doing less; it's about making this exceptional program accessible to more health librarians, wherever they are. We're incredibly proud of what AEBPLI has achieved over the past 15 years, and we're equally excited about ensuring it continues to support the profession for the next 15’.

Some things may look different this year. The commitment to excellence, collaboration and librarians supporting evidence-based practice isn't one of them.