Do librarians have a shared set of values? A comparative study of 36 codes of ethics based on Gorman's Enduring Values

Thirty-six ethical codes from national professional associations were studied, the aim to test whether librarians have global shared values or if political and cultural contexts have significantly influenced the codes' content. Gorman's eight core values of stewardship, service, intellectual freedom, rationalism, literacy and learning, equity of access to recorded knowledge and information, privacy and democracy were used as a benchmark. A quantitative analysis was carried out of which values each code contained. The codes were further qualitatively analysed, to examine how each value was expressed. It was found that on average codes featured five of Gorman's eight values. The most popular values were: service, privacy, equity of access, stewardship and intellectual freedom. The least popular value was rationalism, across all codes. Some codes omitted certain values because of their specific focus, such as the Native American code. Codes varied in how values were expressed, for example some codes limited principles by law, while some did not. Expression of stewardship and democracy was found to be stronger in countries which have recently experienced conflict or colonialism. The relationship between the profession and the state was another area of variation. Countries in the Asia-Pacific put more emphasis on the power of the State

Code of ethics for information professionals

Etičnost na radnom mjestu jedna je od glavnih prednosti u radu neke organizacije. Budući da informacijska struka podrazumijeva pružanje usluga, pojedinac se mora voditi etičkim kodeksima i zakonima. Ipak, u informacijskoj se znanosti relativno kasno počinje široko raspravljati o etici i razini njezinog utjecaja na kvalitetu rada. Tek u drugoj polovici 20. stoljeća profesionalne udruge informacijskih stručnjaka masovno uvode etičke kodekse i prepoznaju važnost etičkog okvira u radu. U radu se uspoređuju etički kodeksi informacijskih stručnjaka iz dvadeset i jedne zemlje. Cilj rada je dati prikaz stanja etičkog okvira u informacijskim znanostima te istaknuti sličnosti i razlike među analiziranim kodeksima. Odabrani kodeksi analizirali su se na temelju petnaest kategorija vezanih uz etičke vrijednosti informacijskih stručnjaka. Na temelju analize može se zaključiti kako je pozornost informacijske struke po pitanju etike najviše usmjerena na odgovornosti stručnjaka unutar radne sredine, prema struci i društvu, slobodan i jednak pristup informacijama i znanju, unapređenje usluga, privatnost te razvoj kompetencija informacijskih stručnjaka. Nasuprot tome, kodeksi najmanje spominju točnost i pružanje objektivnih informacija te razvoj informacijskih izvora kojima upravljaju informacijske ustanove. Konačno, velika razlika među etičkim kodeksima primjećuje se u duljini sadržaja, kao i opsegu detaljnosti opisa pojedinih kategorija

Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story: A Global Content Analysis of Privacy Legislation and National Archive Policies in a Digital Age

This study is a content analysis examining both privacy legislation and national archives policies regarding privacy to determine global understandings of privacy in a digital age. The analysis was conducted on the laws and policies of twenty nations sampled for geographic diversity. The results show that while significant amounts of legislation regarding data protection have been passed around the world in the past decade; however the policies of these national archives have yet to fully adjust to a new reality of recordkeeping in the digital age.Master of Science in Library Scienc

Beyond codes of ethics : how library and information professionals navigate ethical dilemmas in a complex and dynamic information environment

This paper reports on a research project that investigated how library and information (LIS) professionals experience ethical dilemmas, with particular reference to the impact of new technologies, sources used to assist ethical decision-making, and the contribution case studies can make to ethical understanding and decision-making. Data was collected through interviews in Britain, Ireland and Australia with LIS professionals, educators, and representatives of professional bodies. The findings identify the main types of dilemma raised and discuss cases indicative of each type. They suggest that new technologies do not appear to change ethical principles but, when experienced in the workplace, substantially change the factors the professional has to evaluate. They also suggest that relevant codes of ethics are satisfactory on traditional library issues of access and confidentiality, but do not address the ethical challenges of current and potential digital environments. Professional associations appear more familiar with codes of ethics than practitioners although practitioners show high levels of ethical awareness, suggesting associations need to communicate more with their members and provide tools that are more useful in the workplace. Case studies are seen as a good way to educate and engage practitioners because of the complexity, conflicts and dynamism they can present

Deontologia professionale

The volume illustrates the main values of the professional ethics of librarians (intellectual freedom, right to confidentiality, social responsibility, intellectual property, professionalism, democracy) and their possible conflicts, citing and commenting on numerous codes of ethics drawn up by professional associations around the world, including those recently issued by IFLA in 2012 and by AIB in 2014

Provision of LGBT-related fiction to children and young people in English public libraries: a mixed-methods study

This thesis investigates the extent of provision of LGBT-related fiction to children and young people in English public libraries, how it is procured and made available, staff attitudes, and factors affecting provision. The research drew on a pragmatic philosophy and used a mixed-methods approach, comprising a checklist study, questionnaires and interviews. The literature review highlighted a need for portrayals of LGBT people in children’s and Young Adult fiction: this can have benefits for young LGBT people and children of LGBT parents, as well as for increasing understanding among others. Despite this, there has been little attention to the area in UK library research or practice, and the small amount of extant research suggests provision is poor. The study found that provision of LGBT-related fiction to children and young people was generally limited in the participating authorities, particularly as regards younger children’s books and accessible formats. Staff attitudes were positive but not pro-active, with many admitting to never having thought about the area. Some concerns emerged, namely the provision of materials to younger children; materials with sexual content; the quality of materials; US-focused titles; promotion; and the possibility of complaint. The thesis presents a number of models of factors resulting in poor provision. A key factor is that many books are published outside the UK and consequently do not come through mainstream suppliers. This combines with a lack of awareness among librarians, who consequently do not seek out titles elsewhere. Budget and workload seem likely to have an increasing impact in the current economic situation. The model is situated within a broader environment of hetero/cisnormativity, stigma, and a neoliberal approach to library provision which may result in the neglect of areas perceived as ‘niche’. The thesis concludes by summarising the contributions of the study to research and practice, and presenting recommendations