Handbook of Ethical Practice

Summary: This book looks at all of the ethical issues facing information and library professionals in one overarching, and practically-focussed, text. As such, it is of great benefit to both practitioners and to LIS students. The focus of the book is two-fold: (1) It contains a detailed discussion of the issues that impact on the day-today practice of information workers in the 21st century; and (2) contains case studies discussing potential solutions to ethical problems faced. The book provides sections which work like flowcharts leading from ethical issues through decision points to proposed solutions based on the literature/case studies. This is a highly useful resource that provides appropriate access to potential solutions for day-to-day queries. Key Features: 1. Despite the coverage of ethical issues in books on copyright, freedom of information, public internet access, and data protection, this book fills the gap in drawing all of this information together, as one sourcebook 2. The book can be used for regular reference 3. Does not offer legal advice per se, but explains the various scenarios that have been utilised for different ethical problems in the workplace The Authors: The authors are based at the Department of Computer and Information Sciences where they teach on the MSc course in Information and Library Studies. All three authors are published widely in journals and have authored many books. Readership: The book is equally useful for both practitioners and students of information and library studies. Contents: Introduction - background to the ethical debates in information and library work Codes of conduct - professionals associations and their guidelines 'I am looking for scientific evidence that proves the existence of the Loch Ness Monster' - answering difficult or controversial questions 'I want to know how to copy tracks from this CD onto my MP3 player?' - intellectual property questions 'What did that suspicious-looking man in scruffy clothes borrow last week?'- rights to freedom of access and privacy You receive an email via a mailing list which reads: 'Can anyone tell me all about Library X as I have a job interview there tomorrow?' - using professional support networks properly Conclusion - ethical futures Appendix - glossary of ethical problems and potential solutions