Information Ethics
Since it is often that librarians have the skills to access information from specialized databases, it is important that librarians keep ethics in the forefront. Information ethics:
1. A set of principles of right conduct, motivation based on ideas of right and wrong.
2. A theory or system of moral values.
In the article K.I.S.S. and Information Ethics, Richard Severson's Four Principles of Information Ethics are presented:
1.) Respect for intellectual property-involves copyright, librarians should discourage illegal photocopying and plagiarism of all.
2.) Respect for privacy-responsible and ethical use of e-mails, as well as librarians protecting students request for information and their circulation records.
3.) Fair representation-Be smart before purchasing products from vendors and the sort.
4.) Non maleficence (or doing no harm)-gauging our decisions and actions. Students should be taught what's considered harmless vs- intentional when on the school computer.
The dilemma the librarian shared with me involved the principle of Respect for privacy and
protecting a certain students' circulation records. A teacher at a middle school went to the
library/librarian to discuss a certain student in her class, and the issue(s) the student was displaying.
The teacher asked the librarian if she could get a copy of the books students the student had checked
out, to which the librarian had to inform the teacher that due to information ethics students are
protected under the respect for privacy and even though they were good friends, should could not
give the teacher a print out of that students circulation record. In my assessment, I believe that a
high standard of ethical conduct was achieved. In a situation where the librarian and teacher were
obviously co-workers and good friends, the librarian did not go against what was morally and
ethically right. An alternative action for the teacher could be to discuss this matter with the principal
to find out what information the teacher could legally get on the student, with respect to the students
privacy.
Bell, M. (1998). K.I.S.S. and Information Ethics. TAET Journal, Spring 1998.
Your alternatives are good for the situation involved. Although it might help understand a student's mindset and world view to know what books were of interest, it seems invasive and wrong from this librarian's point of view, and I am glad your colleague protected the student's privacy!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your assessment. I subbed in the library and a kindergarten teacher asked me for a list of students and the books that were still checked out. I then told her that I could not and she just said, "Well I always get one from the librarian when I come, I don't see what the big deal is". Needless to say I didn't make a friend that day.
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