Ethics Considerations for Information Professionals

LIS510

What is ethics?

• "Ethics is a guide for our morality when we face complicated situations that eclipse the level of our prior moral experience." (Richard W. Severson (1997). The Principles of Information Ethics. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe.

• "Ethics is mostly about how people should be treated and how one should act, if one wishes to act rightly." (Rubin, p. 266)

What is ethics?

• Ethics is the field of study that is concerned with questions of value

• Ethical judgments are concerned with distinguishing “good” or “bad” behavior in a given situation

• Ethics include the standards, values, morals, principles, etc., that we use as the basis for our decisions or actions

• In ethical decision making, there is often no clear “right” or "wrong” answer

What is ethics?

• Ethics refers to well based standards of right and wrong that prescribe what we ought to do

• This is usually expressed in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues

• It refers to those standards that impose reasonable obligations to refrain from rape, stealing, murder, fraud

• It includes those relating to rights (to life, to freedom from injury, to privacy)

• These are adequate ethical standards because they are supported by consistent and well founded reasons

What is ethics?

• Ethics also refers to the study and development of one's ethical standards

• Feelings, laws, and social norms can deviate from what is ethical

• It is necessary to constantly examine one's standards to ensure that they are reasonable and well-founded

• Ethics means a continuous effort of studying our own moral beliefs and our moral conduct

• Through the application of ethics, we strive to ensure that we, and the institutions we help to shape, live up to standards that are reasonable and solidly-based

Importance of Ethics

• Ethics provide a framework for– Conducting essential information functions– Instituting information policies– Developing strategies for information services

• Ethical conduct of information professionals is– Affirmation of the critical value of services– Affirmation of responsibility to themselves and society– Affirmation of respect for others– Affirmation of the need to improve society

Need for Discussing Ethical Issues

• Librarianship is a service-oriented profession

• Library user is the most important stakeholder

Historical Ethical Orientations in Librarianship

• The First Period (before 1930)– Focusing on responsibilities to library

collections

• The Second Period (1930-1950)– Focusing on human aspects of library

services, e.g. staff and patrons

• The Third Period (since 1960)– Focusing on the broader information needs of

society as a whole

Growing Interest in Professional Ethics

• Journal of Information Ethics

• More people aware of their ethical obligations in the workplace

Three Basic Elements in Professional Ethics

• Self: the moral agent who acts or suffers the consequences of others’ actions

• Organization: the institution acting in an autonomous manner

• Environment: the standards of the community/professional societies

Ethics in Library and Information Science with Two Focuses

• Information ethics: Use and misuse of information– Ownership of information– Intellectual property rights– Free or restricted access to information– Use of government information– Assurance of privacy and confidentiality– Data integrity– International flow of information

• Professional ethics: profession conduct/behavior– How information professionals apply ethical principles to

decisions and actions– Are closely related to information ethics and often overlap with it

Four Factors in Ethical Deliberations that are Important to Librarians

• Social Utility

• Survival

• Social responsibility

• Respect for the individual

Four Questions for Libraries Involved in Ethical Deliberations

• To what extent is the survival of the organization threatened?

• To what extent will the purpose of the organization be benefited or harmed?

• To what extent is the organization or employee socially responsible or irresponsible when acting in a particular manner?

• To what extent are the actions of the organization or individuals acting in its behalf harming or benefiting other individuals, organizations, or the profession?

Categories of Ethical Concern

• Free access to information/effects of information

• Selection decisions• Privacy• Copyright• Information organization• Information policy• Information quality

Categories of Ethical Concern

• Administrative issues– Ethical issues of consultants– Ethical obligations to those doing business with the

library– Ethical aspects regarding the treatment of personnel– Violation of privacy– Misuse of authority– Organizational inadequacies

• Archival issues

Professional Considerations in Ethical Deliberations

• ALA Code of Ethics– Access issues– Rights of authors and creators– Employment issues

• ASIST Professional Guidelines

ALA Code of Ethics

I. 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.

ALA Code of Ethics

II. We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.

III. 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.

ALA Code of Ethics

IV. We respect intellectual property rights and advocate balance between the interests of information users and rights holders.

V. 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.

ALA Code of Ethics

VI. We do not advance private interests at the expense of library users, colleagues, or our employing institutions.

VII. 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.

ALA Code of Ethics

VIII. We strive for excellence in the profession by maintaining and enhancing our knowledge and skills, by encouraging the professional development of co-workers, and by fostering the aspirations of potential members of the profession.

Special Ethical Problems with Information Technologies

• Computers are extremely fast• Computer use is often private and anonymous• Computer access can be accomplished from

great distance• The electronic medium is easily copies• Large number of people are easily reached• A Code of Ethics for Computer Use

– Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics

Ethics and IT

• Our increasing reliance on computing and networks has created many benefits for society

• However, in addition to intended consequences, every social action also has unintended consequences

• The dark side of computing– Computer crime– Unreliable hard/software– Software piracy– Invasion of privacy– Hacking and cracking– Workplace surveillance– Viruses and worms– Data mining

Approaches to Promote Ethical Conduct

• Establishing rules and regulations• Developing training and education programs• Punishing individual for ethical violations• Establishing an ethics code for the organization• Hiring and promoting individuals with ethical

behavior and understanding• Developing a system of rewards for both ethical

actions and unethical ones

Discussion

• A patron requests that he be furnished with information that would permit him to build a small bomb, "just big enough to demolish a small, suburban house." Would you, as a reference librarian, provide the information as requested? If not, what would you do, and how would you defend your action?