HomeProposed Changes to ALA Code of Ethics

Proposed Changes to the ALA Code of Ethics

[REMINDER: There will be an open Hearing to discuss the proposed changes

to the Code of Ethics on Sunday, January 13, 2008, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Philadelphia Ritz Carlton Hotel, in the Petite Ballroom]

Memorandum

From:                Candace D. Morgan, chair, ALA Committee on Professional Ethics

Subject:            Proposed Changes to the ALA Code of Ethics

ALA’s Code of Ethics will be 70 years old in 2009. In anticipation of this important anniversary, the Committee on Professional Ethics (COPE) sponsored programs at the annual conferences from 2004 to 2006 to explore the need for revising the Code in light of new association policies and issues facing the profession. Based on the comments received at these programs, the Committee reviewed each article of Code and is proposing changes in Articles III, IV, and V.  

During these same programs, the issue of Code enforcement was also raised. This has been an on-going debate for many years. Some members believe that if there is no enforcement, the Code is useless. Others see the Code as a document of moral responsibility believing that librarians do not need the threat of enforcement to maintain their professional ethics.

On the advice of ALA’s legal counsel, COPE believes that the best approach is that libraries adopt the Code as part of their policy, thus making it enforceable on a “local” level. The Committee, however, does recognize the importance of providing library workers and trustees with guidance on Code enforcement. In response to this concern, the Committee has begun began working on a Q&A statement on Code enforceability that will be circulated in the near future.

Proposed Revisions to the ALA Code of Ethics

A copy of the current Code of Ethics is attached, along with an annotated copy of the Code of Ethics that uses callouts to identify and explain the proposed changes.  

For clarity, the proposed changes are highlighted below:

Article III: A comma was added to Article III, otherwise the text remained unchanged. 

             The proposed new version reads:

"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."

Article IV:   The Committee discussed Article IV and voted to remove the words 'for the.'

The proposed new version of Article IV reads:

"We recognize and advocate balance between the rights of intellectual property owners and the rights of information users."

Article V:   A comma was added to Article III, otherwise the text remained unchanged. 

             The proposed new version of Article V reads:

"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."

COPE plans to present the proposed changes to the Code of Ethics to the ALA Council for adoption at its third session during the 2008 Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  The committee, therefore, would appreciate receiving any comments prior to conference, if possible, or prior to its final meeting at conference, which is on Monday, January 14, 8:00 to 10:00 a.m., in the Philadelphia Marriott, Room 307.

Please send comments on the proposed changes to the Code of Ethics prior to conference to Judith F. Krug, director, ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (phone: 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4222; fax: 312-280-4227; e-mail: jkrug@ala.org, cc: dstone@ala.org).   Written comments also may be left at OIF’s table in the ALA Office Area in the Philadelphia Convention Center until noon on Sunday, January 13.

COPE will also hold an open hearing to discuss the proposed changes to the Code of Ethics on Sunday, January 13, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm in the Philadelphia Ritz Carlton Hotel's Petite Ballroom.

Thank you for your time and assistance.   The committee looks forward to hearing comments on its suggested revisions.

Code of Ethics of the American Library Association

[Proprosed Revisions]

As members of the American Library Association, we recognize the importance of codifying and making known to the profession and to the general public the ethical principles that guide the work of librarians, other professionals providing information services, library trustees and library staffs.

Ethical dilemmas occur when values are in conflict. The American Library Association Code of Ethics states the values to which we are committed, and embodies the ethical responsibilities of the profession in this changing information environment.

We significantly influence or control the selection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information. In a political system grounded in an informed citizenry, we 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.

The principles of this Code are expressed in broad statements to guide ethical decision making. These statements provide a framework; they cannot and do not dictate conduct to cover particular situations.

1. 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.
2. We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.
3. We protect each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired,[e1]  or transmitted.
4. We recognize and advocate balance between the rights of intellectual property owners and the rights of information users.[e2] 
5. We treat co-workers and other colleagues with respect, fairness,[e3]  and good faith, and advocate conditions of employment that safeguard the rights and welfare of all employees of our institutions.
6. We do not advance private interests at the expense of library users, colleagues, or our employing institutions.
7. 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.
8. We strive for excellence in the profession by maintaining and enhancing our own knowledge and skills, by encouraging the professional development of co-workers, and by fostering the aspirations of potential members of the profession.

Adopted June 28, 1995, by the ALA Council

Related Files

• Proposed Changes to the ALA Code of Ethics

Related Links

• ALA Code of Ethics (Current)