An Interview with a Librarian

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Hello visitors,

  Let's name our librarian Sandra for anonymity. Below you will find the answers that Sandra kindly offered in her interview. 

What do you think are the 3 main ethical problems in your area of librarianship (insert relevant area here if not librarianship)?

I would say Privacy issues in the area of circulation, censorship and representation, being able to represent the entire community and not just the most vocal groups. Another aspect of privacy is the issue with children who share the same accounts as their parents; sometimes we’ll get parents who ask us about the material their children have checked out.

In this, the Information Age, what do you think might be a    

major ethical problem/opportunity for the entire (relevant) profession?

I would say online safety and being aware of leaving a digital footprint. Anything you say or post on the internet will haunt you forever and I think people forget that.

Can you describe a recent professional situation that you experienced that you thought might be unethical or had the potential to become ethically gray?

A couple of years ago a picture book with LGBTQ issues was added to the children's collection. Some members of the community wanted the book/s to have their own sections and not be put with the rest of the books. Obviously, this wasn’t done because if children wanted to read these books they had to go to another area, separate, and this would go against privacy issues among many other things.

If you could create one program on ethics and libraries, to be delivered at a national conference, what would it be about?

I would create a program on proper online behavior, people nowadays feel they can say whatever they want because they don’t have to be physically present.

Is the ALA code of Ethics (or the appropriate relevant ethical code) displayed at your workplace area, and if so, where??

It actually is not but it should be displayed.

What ONE piece of advice would you give a new librarian or information professional about ethics and the workplace?

Know the culture of the area and have an idea of what you are getting into. Be clear on your values and what things you are willing to defend and what others can slide.

What ONE thing do you think should be taught in a course on ethics and libraries or information ethics?

How to actually act when you encounter real life scenarios in where you have to decide what to do. This I learned on the job, as I go. I worked for over 20 years in the school system and it has helped me a lot on the job.