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Keywords
Librarians, Ethics, Professionalism, Codes of practice, United Kingdom
Abstract
The absence of a formal code of ethics for librarians in Britain until 1983 meant that ethical values were passed on by example rather than precept. Increased interest in ethical issues in the 1970s, when the profession was seen as in crisis, resulted in discussions within the Library Association and a draft code was issued in 1981. Despite strong criticism of the draft, it became the basis of the formal Library Association code. It has seldom been tested as a disciplinary instrument. Renewed interest in ethical issues and the need for a Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) code, after the creation of the new organisation in 2002, have returned codes into the area of debate. It is suggested that a new code, rather than standing alone, might form part of a group of related codes from other organisations, all of which could be endorsed by CILIP. This would be intended to encourage ethical maturity in the profession, rather than simply acting as a basis for professional discipline.
1 Before codes
One night in 1917, Henry Bond "did the right thing". He put a blade to his throat and, in a single moment, sought to erase the shame of professional misconduct. In an exemplary career he had risen from apprentice librarian at Barrow-in-Furness, to hold posts as Chief Librarian at St Pancras, London, 1906-1914 and Portsmouth, 1914-1917 (Olle, 1970). However, in the end he succumbed to various temptations. His suicide was precipitated by the Portsmouth Library Committee's unforgiving response when he was caught enjoying a tender moment with a lady friend in his office one evening. After his death, a pattern of embezzlement of library funds emerged. With exposure and ruin on the near horizon, he had passed his own ethical judgement on himself. His chosen disciplinary action was infinitely stricter than either the law or any professional board of enquiry would have applied, but Bond was effectively applying to himself the code of an officer and a gentleman. Maybe this was, by then, how he thought of himself, but the fact was that he had no other code that he could apply.
British medical and legal practitioners had,...