Question

what is ethics and why is it important in library business

Answer 1

LIS profession is a service oriented profession where mission of the LIS (Library and information science) professional is to provide right information to the right user to right format at the right time. However, because of information explosion, it is very difficult for LIS professionals to provide pinpointed, exhaustive and expeditious information to the users. Further, information seeking behavior of users is also fluctuating and thus making the job of LIS professionals more complicated. Information and communication technology has penetrated in every sphere of the library landscape and has even empowered users of the libraries to make both legal as well as illegal use of information. LIS professionals have concern for intellectual property right. All these developments demand that LIS professionals must be equipped with professional ethics so that while taking any decision regarding any issue in the library, they will take the right approach. Thus there is need for inculcating ethical values among the LIS professionals particularly in the present digital information landscape. Developing these ethical values in LIS professionals can be done in a number of ways like through organizing conferences, delivering lectures etc however; LIS professionals can play a pivotal role in this direction.

Library and information centers are repositories for humanity’s knowledge or information; they are our past, our present, and also our future. They are much more than storehouses for books, and include many other forms of data. The knowledge or information available in libraries must be accessible to all people. Retrieval of particular types of information requires specialized knowledge and database searches that are beyond the capabilities of many users, and particularly of undergraduates starting their university careers. LIS professionals need to share that knowledge or information with users, instructing them on how to use electronic or digital information resources and the Internet so they can do research on their own, while pointing out the limits and problems associated with electronic research.

Libraries from time immemorial are serving the societies by collecting, organizing, preserving and disseminating information available in multiple formats. Libraries as information centers plays a significant role in uplifting a society socially, culturally, intellectually, scientifically, economically by providing information to those who are in need of information. LIS profession is a service oriented profession with a mission and the mission is to fulfill the information needs of the people. Libraries comprise of three elements viz., library staff (LIS professionals), information sources and library patrons. LIS (Librarian) professionals are acting as a link between the library patrons and information sources. In order to make libraries as vibrant institutions library staff has to perform their professional obligations in a right manner so that mission of libraries is achieved without any hindrance. This obligation of LIS to perform in a right manner has given rise to the concept of professional ethics in LIS profession. Let us first discuss the meaning of ethics, professional ethics and then ethical issues in LIS profession.

The word ‘ethics’ is derived from the Greek word, ‘ethikos’ meaning custom or character.

The Webster dictionary defines ethics as, ‘the discipline dealing with what is good and bad or right and wrong or with moral duty and obligation’.

Different authors and researchers have defined the term ethics differently. Marnburg, 2000, defines ethics as ‘theories about what is right and wrong’. there researchers however defined it as ‘critical examination of the standards of good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice’ (Banerjee, 2005); ‘field of moral philosophy (Boatright, 2009) and ‘conception of right and wrong behavior and defining when actions are moral and when they are immoral’ (Fernando, 2009).

Ethics has been gaining attention of academicians and researchers around the globe. Since ethics has application in all fields and thus, LIS professionals are also required to abide by ethics as well. The library professions are required to perform their duties in an ethical manner. For this, even many organizations of LIS professionals have adopted codes of professional ethics. Such codes of professional ethics provide LIS professionals with guiding principles and norms to face ethical dilemmas or obtaining solutions to various problems.

Ethical and professional Codes and principles are not meant to replace law or morality but to serve as guidelines for professional conduct. According to Finks (1991), professional ethical codes, values or principles should define the limits of acceptable conduct and give guidance to what kind of actions are regarded as right or wrong in the occupation. The American Library Association Code of Ethics provides broad statements that guide ethical decision making and serve as framework for the profession.

Library and Information Science (LIS) Profession is for public service and therefore require highest standards of honesty, integrity and character. Only those persons should be encouraged to enter in this profession who are interested to help others and provide effective services with help of new technologies in information explosion environment. According to Dr. Ranganathan (1957), “The library profession is a noble profession. It can do no harm to anybody”.

As we know that library and information science is an intellectual profession. Intelligence and knowledge will be sharpened with hard work and strenuous efforts. This profession requires ‘study’ and ‘study’ throughout the career to keep him/her update in information era. He/she has to work hard like a spider to provide highest level of services to users through appropriate and well organized resources; equitable service policies: equitable access, retrieval, storage and dissemination of information: and accurate, unbiased and courteous responses to all requests of users. Thus, professionals must keep service-orientation in their professional work but for this high principle conduct should be framed to guide them. A code of ethic is essential to library professionals which lead to the profession to the excellence. According to Foundation of Library and Information Science, “The ethical conduct of information professionals is an affirmation of the critical values of service, respect for others, and the need to improve society. Ethics provide a frame work for conducting essential information functions, instituting policies and developing strategies for service

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions-2007: Ethical Principles for LIS professionals, Librarians and other Information Workers,

Ethical Principles for LIS Professionals: Users Services

• LIS Professionals serve to all users equally in accordance with mandate and legal bases. LIS Professionals offer high quality services to all users.

• LIS Professionals provide users/clients access to holdings and publicly accessible information resources.

• LIS Professionals inform and advise all users/clients objectively, impartially and courteously, and assist them in retrieving the information they need.

• LIS Professionals treat all clients with equal respect, regardless of their origin, race, age, social status, creed, gender or sexual orientation.

• LIS Professionals observe the principles of barrier free accessibility.

• LIS Professionals protect children and youths from contents unsuitable for them according to the Young Persons Protection Act and other legal regulations.

• LIS Professionals respect all clients’ privacy. Personal data will be saved only to ensure service delivery and only within the legal framework. Library Professionals will share personal data with other institutions only as required by law.