the history of ala library ethics file · web viewethics can be found everywhere; they...

Running Head: THE HISTORY OF ALA LIBRARY ETHICS1

The History of ALA Library Ethics

Whitni J. WatkinsSan José State University

Author Note

Whitni J. Watkins, Graduate Student of Library and Information

Science, San José State University.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed

to Whitni J. Watkins, Graduate Student of Library and

Information Science, 35120 San Carlos Yucaipa, CA 92399

Email: Whitni . Watkins@gmail . com

Abstract

mailto:[email protected]

THE HISTORY OF ALA LIBRARY ETHICS 2

Ethics can be found everywhere; they are an intricate part of our

everyday lives. No matter where we go we are confronted with

ethical conflicts, including in libraries. Starting in the early

1900’s the American Library Association began forming a set of

professional ethical guidelines, the ALA Code of Ethics. This

essay will examine the history of those ethics and all the

revisions they have undergone over the past decades. The research

has found that the ALA code of ethics has room for improvement

but overall they have become a cornerstone to the library

profession.


IntroductionEthics drive our lives, they shape the decisions we make.

As Information Professionals they provide framework for our

services to society as a whole. In a world where information

access is constantly changing the one thing that will remain the

same will be our ethics, the way we do what we do. Our

professional is known for defending the freedom of patrons, to

allow them to read what they desire whether accepted by all,

shows that the need for a high standard of ethics is important.

As stated best by Foskett quoted by Rubin (2010) in Foundations

of Library and Information Science,

But if indeed we have no philosophy, then we are

depriving ourselves of the guiding light of reason, and

we live only a day-to-day existence, lurching from

crisis to crisis, and lacking the driving force of an

inner conviction of the value of our work.

As information professionals it is important to understand the

ethics in which we base our professional career on. Not everyone

understands their importance and some say they have no

relevance.

Librarians have a responsibility; they are “moral agents” to

society (Rubin, 2010, pp405). In the preamble statement III of

the 1939 Code of Ethics for Librarians reads, “This code sets


forth principles of ethical behavior for the professional

librarian. It is not a declaration of prerogatives nor a

statement of recommended practices in specific situations.”

Libraries serve multiple parties, each one unique in its own,

leaving open opportunity for many ethical issues. The code of

ethics developed by the American Library Association is an

important document, providing guidelines for librarians and

information professionals. The position of this paper is to

educate others about the history of library ethics and the

responses given by others about their importance and relevance to

the profession. The paper is not to impose an opinion upon the

reader but to provide information about the ALA code of ethics

and responses to their importance of librarianship.

A student is watching illegally streamed movies and TV

shows on the library computers, you did not provide the

information to them you only provided the means to watch it. How

would you respond to this situation and why? Our response is in

direct relation to the values or ethics we follow. Ethics can be

defined as, “the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a

particular class of human actions or a particular group culture”

(dictionary.com). As the human culture our lifestyle are based

upon a certain code of ethics, rules we live by such as the


choice of abstinence until married. Ethics are values we develop

on our own based upon the principles we learn as children,

teenagers and adults, “we associate them with words like

convictions or principles more than opinions” (Rubin, 2010,

p405). These types of ethics are considered personal, not

everyone abides by them nor should we hold them accountable if

they do not. Ethics reside in our personal life as well as our

professional life, some may duplicate themselves between the two

however it is often required of us to keep the two separate, no

matter the difficulty. These professional ethics provide for

“professional stability and consistency when important issues

arise” (Rubin, 2010). The role ethics plays in our lives,

professionally and personally, led the American Library

Association to produce a code for librarians and information

professionals. It is important to understand that the creation

of this code expresses their importance in the library

profession.

Literature Review

Roy L. Sturgeon in his article, “Laying Down the Law: ALA’s

Ethics Codes,” which appear in the November 2007 issue of

American Libraries, discusses whether information professional

need enforceable rules like the ALA Code of Ethics. He provides


a solid response answering questions of what he feels are the

strength and weaknesses of the ALA code.

John A. Moorman in his seminar paper published to the

Illinois Periodicals Online “Knowledge of the American Library

Association’s Code of Ethics Among Illinois Public Library

Directors; A Study” looks at the application of the ALA code

among public libraries. He discusses in length the acceptance

and use of the ALA code among Illinois libraries.

Don Fallis in his article, “Information Ethics for 21st

Century Library Professionals,” discusses the importance and need

of information ethics in the library profession. He provides

responses from various authors about how information ethics can

be applied to the ethical dilemmas faced as information

professionals.

The primary sources are available through the ALA website.

ALA has published each draft and revision of the Code of Ethics

to their webpage, www . ala . org , which can be easily accessed by

the public.

The literature contains personal viewpoints in regards to

the Code of Ethics. They often provide resources that support

their viewpoints. This paper serves to provide a detailed

http://www.ala.org/


history of the ALA Code of Ethics and compile these viewpoints to

serve as a resource for information professionals.

The History of the ALA Codes

This code is meant as a guideline, it has been revised

multiple times over the year each one bringing a new change. The

first official library code of ethics was adopted in 1939 by the

American Library Association (ALA). There was a least one

suggested code of ethics before that; in 1930 the ALA bulletin

published the first suggested code of ethics. The library

association had been working on a code of ethics for many years

before its official development; documents show approximately

nine years from the suggest code of ethics to formally being

published. In the current life span of the code there have been

three revisions since the adoption in 1939 one in 1981, 1995 and

the most current code was adopted in 2008. There has been a

committee devoted to formulating, revising or revisiting the ALA

code of ethics since 1903. Throughout revisions, suggestions

and amendments to the code of ethics there was a variety of

response to the importance or need of the ethics.

The library is to serve the public with information while

also protecting the rights and safety of its users. ALA felt a

code of ethics needed to be established to help protect not only


the rights and safety of the users but also the staff of

libraries. Some key words used throughout the code are:

responsibility, loyalty, obligation, and protection; these words

suggest the type of ethics library professionals were expected to

follow. The suggested code of ethics in 1930 opening paragraph

is as follows,

The library as an institution exists for the benefit of

a given constituency. This may be the nation, a state,

a county a municipality, a school or college, a

specific field of research, industry or commerce or

some more limited group (ALA Bulletin, 1930).

The 1930 code of ethics is six pages in length that separated

principles within four parties, governing bodies, librarian,

staff, and library profession. These principles were generally

applicable to the assign party. This code was lengthy and

specific covering topics of cases dealing with tenure,

resignations, dismissals and recommendations (ALA, 1930). The

reason for developing the code was the ALA bulletins believed

that if the code was applied intelligently it would serve the

general good of library service and also help encourage

harmonious relations with the staff. Although the code was only

a suggestion by the ALA Bulletin it introduced formally the

concepts that we, as library professionals, believe in today.


One major concept is that libraries exist for the benefit of the

people whether students, politicians, government or the public as

a whole they are to be a benefit.

In 1939 the focus of the code of ethics moved more to the

library as a profession rather than an individual party as stated

in the third paragraph “This code sets forth principles of

ethical behavior for the professional librarian” (ALA, 1939). It

was this year that the ALA officially adopted the suggested code

of ethics after revisions to the suggested code in 1930. This

new code had twenty-eight principles in regards to the ethical

behavior of a professional librarian; “the term librarian in this

code applies to any person who is employed by a library to do

work that is recognized to be professional in character according

to standards establish by the American Library Association,”

(ALA, 1939). The principles in the code were still lengthy and

specific in regards to the ethical behavior of the relations

between the librarian and other parties.

The ALA did not adopt another code until 1981 in the

meantime they adopted two policies, the Library Bill of Rights

and the Freedom to Read statements. These policies helped begin

the framework for a new library code of ethics. The ALA

published the Library Bill of Rights which addresses patron


rights to information and the services provided by the library,

stated in its first point,

Books and other library resources should be provided

for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all

people of the community the library serves. Materials

should not be excluded because of the origin,

background, or views of those contributing to their

creation.

The Freedom to Read statement reiterates the importance of equal

information access to the public whether it is considered

unorthodox or unpopular, (ALA, 2004). Both policies embraced what

the ALA felt were professional values that reflected changes in

economical, social and political environment.

In 1975 the ALA drafted a Statement of Professional Ethics;

this draft focused on the rights and responsibilities of a

librarian which were compiled in six bullet points. These six

bullet points were “certain ethical norms [considered] basic to

librarianship. The code continued to carry the themed words

responsibility and obligations of librarians while embracing the

principles of the Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read

Statement. This code brought together the ethics of the library

profession and the commitment to freedom of information.


In August of 1979 the draft was revised changing the

mandatory “must” to should. One bullet point from the 1975 draft

reads, “[A Librarian] must protect the essential confidential

relationship which exists between a library user and the

library;” this bullet point was then changed by ALA in 1979 to,

“Should recognize and protect the user’s right to privacy with

respect to information sought or received and materials consulted

or borrowed.” The change in wording released the mandating of

the Librarian and drew the statement closer to the initial

mission of the code of ethics adopted in 1939, “sets forth

principles of ethical behavior…It is not a declaration of

prerogative nor a statement of recommended practices in specific

situations,” (ALA, 1939). The ALA originally created the code

of ethics as guidelines for librarians to follow ethical norms in

their profession because ethical dilemmas are not all the same

and require different responses to each case.

In 198l, the ALA adopted a final draft of the revised

statement and code of ethics, which was published in volume 12 of

the American Libraries. The ALA aimed to keep the integrity of

the code while reflecting the changes to the library profession

in its social and institutional environment, (ALA, 1981). The

code continued to emphasize the importance of the librarian

responsibilities and returned to using “must” rather than


“should”. There was a new point adopted in the code, “Librarians

must distinguish clearly in their actions and statements between

their personal philosophies and attitude and those of an

institution or professional body,” (ALA, 1981). The emphasis put

on separating personal values from professional values can be

related to the technological advances that led to increase of

information access. In 1981, Microsoft released MS-DOS and the

IBM PC as well as the announcement of the internet.

The ALA continued to shift the focus of the librarian

responsibilities more towards their relations with users in

regards to information access, censorship, customer service, and

privacy rights. The second paragraph of the 1981 Statement on

Professional Ethics reads,

Librarians significantly influence or control the

selection, organization, preservation, and

dissemination of information. In a political system

grounded in an informed citizenry, librarians are

members of a profession explicitly committed to

intellectual freedom and the freedom of access to

information. We have a special obligation to ensure

the free flow of information and ideas to present and

future generations.


This statement expresses the embodiment of the change in social

and ethical environment of librarianship. However, the statement

included in the 1939 code expressing the use of the code was not

included in the 1981 code.

The code was revised again in 1995, this time including the

statement concerning how the code should be used, “The principles

of the Code are expressed in broad statements to guide ethical

decision making. These decisions provide a framework; they

cannot and do not dictate conduct to cover particular

situations.” (ALA, 1995) They now adopted the title of the code,

Code of Professional Ethics rather than using the term

statement. Another difference was the use of the word “we”

instead of the non-personal term librarians. The code embodies

eight bullet points, expanding from the previous six, which focus

on user access, privacy rights, employment issues and creator and

author rights. This is the first time the code has acknowledged

copyright issues, included in the code is the following point,

“We respect intellectual property rights” (ALA, 1995). The

reasoning for including it in the code is not addressed but one

can relate it to the advancement further in technology and access

to information over the internet. As Roy L. Sturgeon states,

“This acknowledges that the creators or producers of information


are important participants in the library service process”

(Sturgeon, R.L. 2007, p57).

The final revision to the code was completed and published

January 22, 2008. The intellectual rights point acquired in 1995

was expanded upon to know hold, “and advocate balance between the

interests of information users and rights holders” (ALA, 2008).

This was the only revision made to the current Code of Ethics of

the American Library Association.

Discussion

Strengths of the Codes

As discussed above there has been over fifty years of

dedicated effort put towards developing a professional code for

libraries and librarians, guidelines for ethical dilemmas

encountered on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. The response

to the importance and relevance of the library code of ethics has

been mixed. Information professionals have a high reputation to

uphold; providing excellent customer service to users without

over stepping boundaries of privacy and bridging the gaps of

communication. Casey explicitly expresses his feelings towards

these guidelines, “Ethics in librarianship is – or should be – an

important aspect of study for positions of leadership in the

library profession” (J. B. Casey, 1998, p35).


The implementation of ethic guidelines due to conflicts in

the study of librarianship suggests that they are used often

throughout the profession, sometimes more than we would like.

Rebecca P. Butler expresses in an article on the impact ethical

dilemmas have on librarians, “…instead you will toss and turn as

bits and pieces from your day roll around in your mind. How can

you resolve all these issues?” (Butler, R.P., 2005, p33). The

concerns librarians can have over the multiple ethical issues

they encounter can be resolved through the help of the ALA code

of ethics. The ethics do provide guidelines for information

professionals to make sound decisions when in ethical conflicts,

for example if encountering a copyright infringement the ethics

expresses the respect librarians have for intellectual property

rights, reminding that we have a duty to uphold to those who help

provide the information we hold in our libraries. “Ethical

decisions are not easy to make and sometimes require the

librarian to put aside their own beliefs.” (Smith, M.)

In a lecture by Debbie Hansen on “Ethical Issues in Library

and Information Science”, she closes by saying, “…professional

ethics are a defining feature of the information profession,”

Copyright infringement is just one of the many ethical conflicts

that are encountered in libraries. Other conflicts guided by the


code of ethics include equal access to resources for the general

public including the homeless, patron privacy and information

confidentiality, and censoring of library materials. These

points can be found in the 2008 Code of Ethics published by the

ALA sections I, II, III, IV, and V. The code acts as guidance

and a reminder by expressing the commitment librarians have to

the free flow of information and service to their users and each

other.

Weaknesses of the Codes

The codes are general principles of guidance for library

professionals; some argue they are too general and they do not

express how to apply them. The codes themselves are valuable to

the profession however they are not perfect. Sturgeon points out

that, “Because of the diversity between public, school, academic,

and other kinds of information centers, it is impossible to write

a code applicable to them all” (Sturgeon, R.L., 2007, p57).

Every library, even within the same realm, will encounter

different conflicts that will need to be addressed from different

perspectives. It is important that along with the ALA code of

ethics, individuals develop their own code in regards to the

special issues they come across in their library.


Other limitations of the code are that ambiguity of the

points addressed. In Don Fallis’ article he points out three

limitations of the library code, 1) What exactly do these

principles mean? 2) What should library professionals do when

these principles conflict with other ethical principles? 3) What

is the ethical justification for these principles? (Fallis, D.,

2007). A common concern is in regards to Fallis’ second point,

what if the ALA code conflicts with other important principles

such has free flow of information and copyright infringement,

when do you enforce one principle and not the other. The final

point Fallis’ brings up is important because as library

professionals if it is not understand why it is important to

abide by the ethics of the profession their purpose for guidance

is weakened because the need to apply them to ethical conflicts

is not as great. The code of ethics has limitations but it is

not a firm standing document that cannot be change; it has been

revised and will be revised again as needed.

Conclusion

Library professionals regularly face ethical dilemmas in the

work place, having knowledge of the ethics with which their

profession is based on can play a key role in how they respond to

those dilemmas. The purpose of this paper has been to provide a


detailed history of the ALA code of ethics. Every information

professional has their own personal ethics; these will not

disappear once they start working in the professional field. The

ALA published the code of ethics to provide professional guidance

for libraries and staff when making ethical decisions. The codes

are written to deal with only professional behavior. Many

authors have shown how the code can be helpful in cases of

ethical conflict, as well as how the code can create confusion

with other policies. The code of ethics creates a way to enhance

the reputation of library service and professional behavior among

the library staff and users.


References

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