The Role of Ethics in Library and Information Practice

Abstract

Applied ethics finds application in all spheres of social life, one of which is the field of library and information science. Ethics is an important pillar contributing to the systematic order of the library and its collection. Ethical principles are contained in key documents such as the Librarian’s Code of Ethics, partly in the Library (Lending) Regulations, and should therefore be adopted by every member of staff. The library profession consists not only of working with information, namely making it available, but also of setting up effective communication towards users (readers) in the form of defining optimal solutions eliminating the problems that arise. The aim of our efforts is to capture the most common problems that arise from misunderstandings between librarian and user (reader) and to make clear what specific role ethical values play in library and information practice.