What is a Librarian? Part II

Allow me to tell you that my time in Syracuse was very fruitful in generating ideas for this blog. So, strap in and take a ride with me as I share with you the many thoughts and ideas I picked up during my time in Syracuse.

Today, let me reexamine one of the first topics I ever posted on this blog - “What is a Librarian?” If I remember correctly, I linked my answer to the education of a librarian. A Master’s degree from an ALA accredited school is the “entry ticket” to the profession. The accreditation ensures certain standards for all librarians in the field - reference, cataloging, management, et cetera. However, after my classes at Syracuse, I feel as if I should expand my definition of what a librarian is.

Yes, they share a degree - a common educational background. More than that, though, they share a set of common goals, ethics, and professional values. They share a skillset - the result of the education they go through, as well as the result of the needs and demands of the profession as a whole. What are some of these common ethics?

Well, here’s the definition, quoted from the American Library Associaton’s ALA Policy Manual:

“40.1 Core Values of Librarianship
The foundation of modern librarianship rests on an essential set of core values, which define, inform, and guide all professional practice. These values reflect the history and ongoing development of the profession and have been advanced, expanded, and refined by numerous policy statements of the American Library Association. Among these are:

Access

Confidentiality/Privacy

Democracy

Diversity

Education and Lifelong Learning

Intellectual Freedom

Preservation

The Public Good

Professionalism

Service

Social Responsibility

It would be difficult, if not impossible, to express our values more eloquently than ALA already has in the Freedom to Read statement, the Library Bill of Rights, the ALA Mission Statement, Libraries: an American Value and other documents. These policies have been carefully thought out, articulated, debated, and approved by the ALA Council. They are interpreted, revised, or expanded when necessary. Over time, the values embodied in these statements have been embraced by the majority of librarians as the foundations of their practice. Adopted, 2004. (See “Current Reference File”: Core Values Task Force II Report: 2003-04, CD #7.2)

40.2 Code of Professional Ethics for Librarians
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.

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.

We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.

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.

We respect intellectual property rights and advocate balance between the interests of information users and rights holders.

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.

We do not advance private interests at the expense of library users, colleagues, or our employing institutions.

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.

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 by the ALA Council, June 28, 1995”

I apologize for that large quote, but I want you to come away with the idea that librarianship is not about books, or glasses, or shushing, it’s all about the public good - about being connected with, and serving your patrons/users. Improving your community, and your society are very important. Also, improving our democracy with unlimited access to any and all information they need. By this I mean to say the education of the voting public.

It is this common set of ethics that gives librarians a common set of goals as well. These goals are largely reflective of the ethics, and so I will spare you an enumeration of these goals.

Allow me to tell you that not all librarians work in libraries. As a matter of fact, librarians working in the corporate realm is becoming more and more common - especially in the information professions. No other job in the IT fields is as user-oriented as librarians are. Corporations are discovering this user-centric training in librarians, and are hiring them to improve their management of information - through websites, or internal systems.

So what unites librarians, what defines them? Not the place in which they work, not books, but instead the shared ethical standards, broad goals, and educational background.