Maywin's S640 Blog Post #4

Maywin’s S640 Blog Posting #4

Ethics of Librarianship


In their day to day work lives, librarians incorporate ethical behavior toward the public in various ways. For instance, one patron comes in and very quietly whispers a request for medical information about HIV aids. From their demeanor it is obvious they do not want their request to be overheard. Or, a teenager requests a book on suicide; a man wants “How to Do Your Own Divorce” forms, and so on. Therapists, MD’s, and others who counsel the public take oaths promising to keep their patients’ information confidential. Librarians also work to treat their public/patrons with high standards as set forth by the ALA. They, too, implement their own agreement/oath as established by the profession in order to “protect the library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality,” (IFM 245).

I was sitting in the dentist chair last week and had the IFM with me. My dentist asked me what it was, and I told him. He had no idea what I was talking about in terms of the connection between IF and libraries/librarians. Onto my soap box I did jump. Well whenever I had a free mouth anyway. In the span of a cleaning and a flouriding, he heard: (a condensed version of) the process of challenging library materials, patrons’ privacy, confidentiality, and so on.
The whole discourse brought me back to Dr. Ball’s, comment about advocacy taking many shapes.
I am proud to say that many of the librarians I know conduct themselves in ethical professionalism on a daily basis.
Ethical behavior of librarians weaves its way into so many areas and is discussed in Moya K. Mason’s article, “The Ethics of Librarianship: Dilemmas Surrounding Libraries, Intellectual Freedom, and Censorship in the Face of Colossal Technological Progression.” Author Mason states: “Librarians often decide the direction that an inquiry will take and therefore it is necessary that librarians continually strive not to let personal judgments interfere with their professional activities.”