Chair from Committee on Professional Ethics Wants to Hear from YOU.
Based on recent requests to the committee for assistance in two areas, we’re working on developing two new explanatory statements for the ALA Code of Ethics. These areas are: Ethics and Social Media Conflicts of Interest. These explanatory statements will take the form of a question & answer document. We currently have two in this format on workplace speech (also being updated) and on enforcement of the Code of Ethics. To see these examples, please see the Resources section on our committee’s website. As we are a committee of Council, we are seeking your input on the topics that we should cover in these documents. Examples of the types of questions we could answer are:
- Under Social Media: What policies should we have in place for our library’s Facebook page? What happens when an employee mentions the library on a personal Twitter account?
- Under Conflicts of Interest: If I’m on an award committee and know a nominee, should I disclose that information and/or recuse myself? Is it OK to accept a meal from a library vendor?
If you have suggestions for topics that we should cover, please send them to the Committee chair at mgarnar@regis.edu. Our goal is to have both documents ready for public consumption by Annual 2013. Contact the chair if you have any questions, and thanks in advance for your assistance.
Please send your comments to:
Martin Garnar Chair, ALA Committee on Professional Ethics
Reference Services Librarian and Professor of Library Science
Dayton Memorial Library, Regis University
3333 Regis Blvd., Mail Stop D-20
Denver, CO 80221
303.964.5459 (voice)
303.964.5497 (fax)
mgarnar@regis.edu