50. évfolyam, 2004. 2. szám

Archívum

This background study was commissioned by the Association of Hungarian Librarians and the Hungarian Library Institute in order to assist the ethics working committee in creating the first Hungarian code of professional practice for librarians. The author provides an overview of the topic that will be further discussed by the committee and other professional bodies.

In the past, the Hungarian librarian community had to resolve professional ethical issues without the formal adoption of an ethical code. Librarians stood up for the unwritten rules of the profession against the official political values in several cases, e.g. in the debate around the educational / guiding role of librarians versus unhindered access by readers to open shelves, or in the protection of the personal rights of readers. Librarians had no other guidance in dealing with such issues than their own conviction. The issue of ethical code was first brought up at the annual conference of the Association of Hungarian Librarians in 1975, yet the discussions had no practical outcome. After the change of regime, in the beginning of the 1990s, the issue was raised again.

After presenting general issues of professional ethical guidelines, the author justifies the need for a code of ethics for librarianship. A code of professional practice, while stating the fundamental values of the profession, would facilitate everyday decision making, promote the use of libraries and enhance the role of libraries in the society. The code lays down the principles of professional commitment and responsibility to which librarians should aspire. The code of ethics means obligations, but at the same time, it states certain rights and helps resolve work-related conflicts at libraries. In the present study, the author deals with the following issues: fundamental ethical values of librarianship, the relation between librarians and users, the collection development, the ethical criteria of reference and user services, the respect for intellectual property, the refusal of censorship, and the responsibilities of librarians towards their professional community.

In connection with creating the code of ethics, the following decisions need to be made: the scope of competence, the committee carrying out the work, the signatories as well as the supervisory body. Competence should be defined generally enough, allowing for supporting authorities to formulate specific missions for their libraries (e.g. libraries open to all users and libraries only serving their own supporting institutions.) The convergence of public collection institutions as well as the diversity of the profession may also loose the framework of the code. The code of ethics has to state the values of the profession and define the main objectives of the professional practice in a neutral and impartial way, in harmony with the national cultural policies. It should define the main tasks of librarians, but should not contain prohibitive clauses.

The structure of the code will comprise a section on the fundamental ethical principles, followed by a section applying these principles in professional practice. In order to make the document more user-friendly, the author suggests that it was published primarily in electronic form.
 

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