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Ethics for Academic Librarians

Ethics for Academic Librarians. Barbara M. Wildemuth School of Information & Library Science University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Tapping the vast reservoir of human knowledge --Louis Round Wilson, founder, 1931. Ethical Issues in Librarianship. Intellectual property

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Ethics for Academic Librarians

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  1. Ethics for Academic Librarians Barbara M. Wildemuth School of Information & Library Science University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tapping the vast reservoir of human knowledge --Louis Round Wilson, founder, 1931

  2. Ethical Issues in Librarianship • Intellectual property • Information accuracy • Access to information • Access to technology • Privacy Davis Library

  3. Personal values Professional values Ethical reasoning: Consequences, principles Ethical decisions Reasoning about Ethical Issues

  4. Values • Personal values • From upbringing • From religious beliefs • Professional values • From professional associations

  5. ALA Code of Ethics • the highest level of service to all library users… equitable service policies; equitable access… • uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor… • protect each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality… • respect intellectual property rights • treat co-workers and other colleagues with respect, fairness and good faith… • do not advance private interests at the expense of library users, colleagues, or our employing institutions • do not allow our personal beliefs to interfere with fair representation of the aims of our institutions… • strive for excellence in the profession…

  6. Ethical Reasoning • Based on the consequences of your action • Utilitarianism: • Choose the action that has the best overall consequences for everyone concerned. • Based on a general principle or rule • Kant’s categorical imperative: • “Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.”

  7. An example: privacy • Consider a hypothetical chat reference service offered by the UNC Health Sciences Library • What moral obligation does the library have to protect the privacy of those engaged in chat reference sessions? Health Sciences Library

  8. Reminders • Clarify your own values • Check for professional codes of ethics that pertain to your setting • Consider the consequences • Consider general principles that pertain to the situation Wilson Library

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