Ethics for Academic Librarians Presentation for CALA, December 10, 2004 *Title slide All professionals face ethical dilemmas Ethics = whether an action is right or wrong In a moral sense Not just efficiency, productivity Requires a value judgment Dilemma = there is no “perfect” action that can be taken Every possible action is “right” to some degree and “wrong” to some degree Academic librarians are no exception *Ethical issues in librarianship Some of the most common areas in which academic librarians might face ethical dilemmas Intellectual property Is it wrong to copy artwork from a website for use in a presentation? Information accuracy Does a librarian have a moral obligation to ensure that every reference question is answered correctly? Access to information Should everyone have access to all library resources? Should Braille editions of all books be purchased? Access to technology Does a public university have a moral obligation to provide computer resources for members of the public? Privacy Is a reference interview a private conversation? CALA Seminar, 12/10/04, page 2 *Reasoning about ethical issues Not every ethical issue can be anticipated in advance Skills in ethical reasoning can be developed, in order to be able to face future ethical dilemmas Begin by clarifying your personal and professional values Personal values based on those learned from your family or from your religious upbringing Professional values espoused by particular professional associations ALA Code of Ethics ** new slide http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/codeofethics/codeethics. htm Adopted by the ALA Council in 1995 We provide the highest level of service to all library users through appropriate and usefully organized resources; equitable service policies; equitable access; and accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests. We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources. We protect each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted. We recognize and respect intellectual property rights. We treat co-workers and other colleagues with respect, fairness and good faith, and advocate conditions of employment that safeguard the rights and welfare of all employees of our institutions. We do not advance private interests at the expense of library users, colleagues, or our employing institutions. We distinguish between our personal convictions and professional duties and do not allow our personal beliefs to interfere with fair representation of the aims of our institutions or the provision of access to their information resources. We strive for excellence in the profession by maintaining and enhancing our own knowledge and skills, by encouraging the professional development of co-workers, and by fostering the aspirations of potential members of the profession. CALA Seminar, 12/10/04, page 3 *Ethical reasoning Based on the consequences of your action Most well-known theory: utilitarianism Basic idea: When considering alternative actions, choose the one that has the best overall consequences for everyone concerned Rightness/wrongness of an action is based on its consequences The amount of happiness and unhappiness that an action causes are the only things to be taken into account when judging whether it is right or wrong The judgments of happiness/unhappiness must be impartial, i.e., noone’s happiness is more important than anyone else’s happiness Based on some type of principle or rule Most well-known: Kant’s categorical imperative As Kant said it: “Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.” For example: do not lie, do not steal, do not kill *One illustrative case: privacy issues associated with chat reference services Imagine a chat reference service being offered by the UNC Health Sciences Library Transaction logs are kept of all the transactions What happens to them? Where are they stored? Who “owns” them? Who has access to them? What information is contained in them? Is this information considered private? By whom? Is it confidential? Should any of the information be shielded from access? By whom? What moral obligation does a library have to protect the privacy of those engaged in chat reference sessions? The patron The librarian