Everyday%20Library%20Ethics%20Series:%20Part%20Three%20%20Case%20Studies:%20Ten%20Real%20Library%20Ethical%20Dilemmas

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Everyday Library Ethics Series Part
ThreeCase Studies Ten Real Library Ethical
Dilemmas
PCI Webinars
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• Case studies
• expand
• your world.

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Outcomes

• Create policies before theres a problem.
• Clarify concerns inside and outside the library.
• Build support for making difficult decisions.
• Educate the public
• about ethical guidelines.
• Evaluate situations
• for possible interventions.

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Agenda

• Introduction to Case Studies
• How to Use Them
• Case Study Myths
• Questions
• Ten Stories
• Next Steps
• Connections

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Introduction

• Case Studies Best Way to Study Ethics?
• Engaging stories Involve the participants.
• Playing the What-If Game
• Real situations
• Tweaked to protect identities
• Complex and ambiguous situations
• Get to know each others positions.

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How To Use Case Studies

• Formal programs to educate community
• Training for boards and staff
• Illustrate and discuss difficult issues
• Without pressure of deadlines
• Learn from successes and failures.
• Empathy for all sides of the issue

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Case Study Myths

• Filling in the blanks is arbitrary and phony.
• Stories cant prepare us for problems.
• It will never happen to us.
• Stories are not realistic.
• We are tempting fate.

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Questions

• What else do you need to know?
• Is there a key issue to resolve?
• What are the different positions?
• Are there colliding ethical codes?
• What stakeholders are not mentioned?
• What would be a good resolution?
• And two more good resolutions?

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Fiscal Responsibility 1

• The new small-town library trustee wanted the
  board to hire an independent auditor.
• Our director and accountant are honest and
  competent, said the longtime trustees. Hiring
  an outside firm will cost too much money and
  time, and its micromanagement. Either we trust
  the director, or we fire her.
• Outside auditors can educate the library staff
  and leaderships about new ways of making and
  saving money. And random audits show our
  community that we have nothing to hide and that
  we manage our resources well.
• Is an outside audit worth the price and the
  hassle?

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Freedom of Press 2

• The librarys new website promotes books favored
  by staff and patrons. Most recently, a group of
  local, self-published authors wants their books
  front and center.
• We are local authors, so our books should have
  the center stage on the website. To deny us our
  place in the limelight is an issue of freedom of
  the press.
• We support local authors with a display of books
  in the librarys lobby plus events throughout the
  year. (And, frankly, some of those self-published
  books are not very good and not recommended by
  staff or patrons.
• Is the library denying the authors their rights?

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Freedom of Assembly Case 3

• Citizens For Public Responsibility, a group
  critical of the school boards decisions
  regarding standards, meets in the park on library
  property every week. They make speeches, pass out
  flyers, and argue with passers-by. Increasingly,
  the library hears complaints about their
  behavior.
• We have a right to hang out, discuss issues, and
  make our case to the general public.
• Your actions are intimidating library users and
  those people who want to use the park to read,
  throw frisbees, and play with their children.
• Is this a First Amendment issue?

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Access for Everyone 4

• The rules are very simple Anyone under the age
  of 18 who wants a library card needs to have a
  parent or legal guardian sign a permission slip.
  But, some refuse to sign. One reason State law
  forbids parents from knowing what their children
  are checking out from the library.
• I dont like the government interfering with my
  parental relationship. What my children read is
  my business.
• Your childrens right to read what they want is
  protected by state law. Meanwhile, your refusal
  to sign for their card means they are denied the
  right to access information.
• Is this a collision of ethical codes?

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Religious Programs 5

• Many organizations use the librarys meeting
  rooms exercise classes, the League of Women
  Voters, craft clubs, professional associations,
  etc. But what isnt allowed is any group that has
  ties to organized religion. A church group that
  runs literacy programs wants to book a room.
• We are teaching new Americans and illiterate
  natives to read, using faith-based books from the
  librarys and churchs collections. However, all
  are welcome.
• You also pray at the beginning of each program.
  We take the separation of church and state pretty
  seriously.
• Is the library violating their freedom of
  religion?

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The Staff Public Voice 6

• The new directors decisions were controversial,
  but the library did not have a grievance policy
  and employees were forbidden from attending board
  meetings. Letters to the editor and blog posts
  signed by disgruntled employees appeared. The
  board and director announced that such postings
  would be considered insubordination.
• Staff do not have the right to undermine the
  librarys work in the communitywhile drawing a
  paycheck.
• The community has the right to hear from us
  firsthand about what is wrong with the new
  director.
• Is the library denying the staff their freedom of
  speech?

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The Paperless Office7

• The library is going green. This means documents
  are posted online and transactions completed via
  the Internet. Exceptions are made, but you have
  to have a reason, such as a disability. Paper is
  no longer a universal option.
• We save money, provide better service, and
  eliminate waste in our landfill. Reducing paper
  is an ethical issue.
• You discriminate against people who dont have
  computers at home (old, poor, illiterate). Then,
  you force library users to disclose personal
  information to justify their desire to use paper
  to fill out a form or see a policy statement.
• Is green ethics conflicting with user access to
  services?

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The Holds Dilemma 8

• If you regularly used the library, inevitably a
  staff member will mention the holds policy. Just
  tell us what books you want, and we will let you
  know when they are available. We will put them on
  a shelf for you in the back hall by the
  employees break room. Of course, we keep this
  service as a benefit for our most loyal library
  users dont have the room or staff to support
  everyone using it.
• Cancel the program. It favors only those few who
  have good relations with the staff.
• Expand the program, as you can.
• Has the library created an elite class of users?

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Illiterate Customers 9

• The librarys collections and services have
  changed over the years. Graphic novels, dvds,
  movie nights, audiobooks, maker classes, and
  dance and music performances bring in more people
  than quiet reading rooms and scholarly
  collections. So, what about the population that
  does not read or write English? Does the library
  serve them well?
• Pictures on signs, radio ads, and simple
  instructions serve the population that does not
  understand written English an underserved
  audience.
• Libraries will always be about reading, first
  and foremost.
• Are libraries denying services to people based on
  bias?

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The Family Card 10

• Forgetting to bring the card to the library can
  be a nuisance. So what is the big deal if
  families and roommates share cards and accounts,
  particularly in a small community or institution
  where everyone one knows everyone else?
• Library cards are the traditional way for
  libraries to track books and help ensure user
  privacy. Without a one person, one card policy,
  we cant effectively protect materials and
  individuals rights to read anonymously.
• Antiquated rules keep people from borrowing
  books.
• Do libraries deny access with rules that are no
  longer necessary? Why not have online user
  accounts? Facial recognition? Signed permissions
  from users?

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Next Steps

• Research ethical case studies.
• Staff, board, and community programs
• Create your own case studies.
• Bring in outside speakers.
• Use the model for other issues.
• Partner with schools and higher ed.

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Resources

• http//www.vanderbilt.edu/CenterforEthics/cases.ht
  ml
• http//web.tepper.cmu.edu/ethics/aa/arthurandersen
  .htm
• http//www.emeraldinsight.com/librarians/index.htm
  
• http//ethics.iit.edu/eelibrary/?qnode/2395
• http//writing.colostate.edu/guides/guide.cfm?guid
  eid60
• http//www.universaldesigncasestudies.org
• http//www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/ca
  ses.cfm
• http//www.spj.org/ethicscasestudies.asp

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Connections

• pat_at_sieralearn.com
• www.sieralearn.com
• Twitter _at_pat2pattern
• _at_sieralearnteach
• LinkedIn Pat Wagner
• Facebook Pat Wagner
• librarything.com patternresearch