Scott, Jane

Senior, Heidi

English

University of Portland

University of PortlandPilot ScholarsLibrary Faculty Publications and Presentations Clark Library/Archives2018Clark Library Ethics Project: Advocacy for Rolesand ValuesHeidi SeniorUniversity of Portland, senior@up.eduJane ScottUniversity of Portland, scottj@up.eduFollow this and additional works at: https://pilotscholars.up.edu/lib_facpubsPart of the Library and Information Science CommonsThis Conference Presentation is brought to you for free and open access by the Clark Library/Archives at Pilot Scholars. It has been accepted forinclusion in Library Faculty Publications and Presentations by an authorized administrator of Pilot Scholars. For more information, please contactlibrary@up.edu.Citation: Pilot Scholars Version (Modified MLA Style)Senior, Heidi and Scott, Jane, "Clark Library Ethics Project: Advocacy for Roles and Values" (2018). Library Faculty Publications andPresentations. 9.https://pilotscholars.up.edu/lib_facpubs/9Clark Library Ethics Project: Advocacy for Roles and Values Heidi E. K. Senior, Jane ScottClark Library, University of PortlandThe University of Portland is a comprehensive, private, Catholic university with a major focus on undergraduate education. Located in north Portland, it enrolls 4,400 students, the majority of whom are undergraduates. It has a strong College of Arts and Sciences as well as Schools of Business, Education, Engineering, and Nursing.   The University’s stated goal of moral formation is evident within the core curriculum’s required units of philosophy where discussions about value systems and moral reasoning occur. Within the professional schools, instruction in applied ethics is evident through direct instruction, discussion, and readings.  At the University, this goal is supported by the Dundon-Berchtold Institute housed on the University campus. The Institute offers classes, public events, and has funded student-faculty research in ethics since 2013. Prior to the current project, no faculty outside of the College and Schools had participated.BackgroundAdvocating for ValuesThe Library received a Dundon-Berchtold Grant to “examine ethical issues in librarianship as they are practiced and understood at our institution and then develop a statement of ethics for our work going forward as well as an ethical use of information statement that can be promoted and included on syllabi” (Grant Proposal, 2017).Part one:  Two faculty librarians and two student researchers reviewed the library literature regarding ethical practices and created an annotated bibliography by functional area.Part two: Library-wide focus on ethical practices within regular meeting times through a number of guided activities: reading the ALA and IFLA codes of ethics and commenting on how our current practices reflect these values; small group discussions focused on the ethics and policy concerns within library dilemmas; reading functional area annotations and writing ethical values to be considered for the Library Statement of Ethics.  Overview of the ProjectLibrarians served as mentors to undergraduate researchers, setting the research agendawithin the discipline of librarianship andinstructing the researchers in the processof professional research and publishing.We participated in colloquia led by philosophyprofessors, taking a seat at the table with faculty from the College and Schools.When a philosophy professor consulted withthe research team, he was skeptical that ethicalissues existed within librarianship, and we helped himto understand the nature of our ethical issues and to see that we do encounter ethical dilemmas.Librarians published journal articles and gaveconference presentations about various aspects of theproject, demonstrating to campus that we participate in disciplinary conversations. Advocating for LibrariansLibrary values were strengthened by library-wide activities, including directed activitieswithin small groups, individually assignedreadings and responses, and discussions atall-staff meetings. Participants felt empowered to enter intocampus discussions around ethical issues inwhich the Library and its professional valueshave a perspective.The Statement of Ethics (https://library.up.edu/ethics) makes visible the library’s commitment to its community to uphold ethical values in daily work.The Ethics of Information syllabi statement (https://library.up.edu/ethics)exhorts students to view the information cycle holistically through an ethical lens and to widen their perception of information ethics beyond plagiarism. The Provost has required this statementto be included in all faculty syllabi. Advocating for the Role of the LibraryDundon-Berchtold GrantAdvocating for the Role of the LibraryAdvocating for Professional ValuesAdvocating for Librarians as Faculty and as ResearchersApplying our story in your institution:• Look for opportunities within your institution where the library’s voice could advocate for library roles or values.• Identify opportunities within your library for staff development and training that could support professional values.• Be proactive and make suggestions about alterations to institutional opportunities.Because ethics is a pillar of the University of Portland core curriculum, it is an important issue on campus, and we believe it is vital for Clark Library to take part in conversations around key issues.By participating in the Dundon-Berchtold Institute’s student-faculty ethics research initiative, we demonstrated that we could take a leadership role within the conversation around ethics, rather than our more typical support role.To participate effectively in the initiative, the library adapted initiative goals to fit the library’s mission. Where typical projects involve primary research, the research component of Clark Library’s project was secondary and subsidiary to the main goal of staff development and producing statements of ethics. Adapting the project in this way, the library asserted its ability to contribute creatively to campus initiatives, and developed a newmodel for participation byfuture contributors.  For more information:Senior, H., & Scott, J. (in press). An academic library’s self-study in ethics: A library-wide investigation of ethical practice. Journal of Library Administration. doi: 10.2080/01930826.2018.1516952ORCIDs: Heidi Senior http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5139-3092Jane Scott http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5143-7278

Clark Library Ethics Project: Advocacy for Roles and Values

https://pilotscholars.up.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&amp;context=lib_facpubs

Clark Library Ethics Project: Advocacy for Roles and Values

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