Presentation on the role of Ethics at CILIP as part of the first meeting of the CILIP Ethics Committee

1. The role of ‘Ethics’ at CILIP as the professional
body for the information, knowledge
management & library sectors
Nick Poole, CEO, CILIP
27/06/2016

2. Law
Ethics
Standards
Qualifications
Practice
Culture

3. Law
Ethics
Standards
Qualifications
Practice
Culture

4. Law
Ethics
Standards
Qualifications
Practice
Culture

5. Law
Ethics
Standards
Qualifications
Practice
Culture

6. Law
Ethics
Standards
Qualifications
Practice
Culture

7. Law
Ethics
Standards
Qualifications
Practice
Culture
UNREGULATED

8. Law
Ethics
Standards
Qualifications
Practice
Culture
UNREGULATED
SELF-REGULATED

9. Law
Ethics
Standards
Qualifications
Practice
Culture
UNREGULATED
SELF-REGULATED
REGULATED

10. Law
Ethics
Standards
Qualifications
Practice
Culture
UNREGULATED
SELF-REGULATED
REGULATED
In a self-regulated
sector, our
professional ETHICS
become the guiding
principles which lead
policy & practice

11. What does ‘Ethics’ mean?

12. ‘Ethics’ and ‘professional ethics’
• ‘Ethics’ in daily life refers to moral choice – balancing what you have a right
to do and what is ‘right’ to do
• ‘Professional ethics’ refers to adherence to the values and principles of a
Code of Professional Ethics and using these values and principles as the
basis of good judgement
• All Ethics are subject to external norms – there is no ‘absolute’ morality, but
rather a set of dominant principles that are defined by the social and
professional context

13. CILIP’s current model
Ethical Principles
High-level values
& principles
Code of
Professional
Practice
Ethical Principles
applied to
‘interested
parties’
Ethics
Committee
Keeps the
Principles under
review & advises
on application
Royal Charter
Promotes Public
Benefit

14. CILIP’s charitable purpose (as defined by our Royal Charter)
To work for the benefit of the public to promote education
and knowledge through the establishment and development
of libraries and information services and to advance
information science (being the science and practice of the
collection, collation, evaluation and organised dissemination
of information).

15. Ethical Principles (p1.)
• Concern for the public good in all professional matters, including respect for
diversity within society, and the promoting of equal opportunities and human rights.
• Concern for the good reputation of the information profession.
• Commitment to the defence, and the advancement, of access to information, ideas
and works of the imagination.
• Provision of the best possible service within available resources.

16. Ethical Principles (p2.)
• Concern for balancing the needs of actual and potential users and the reasonable
demands of employers.
• Equitable treatment of all information users.
• Impartiality, and avoidance of inappropriate bias, in acquiring and evaluating
information and in mediating it to other information users.
• Respect for confidentiality and privacy in dealing with information users.

17. Ethical Principles (p3.)
• Concern for the conservation and preservation of our information heritage in all
formats.
• Respect for, and understanding of, the integrity of information items and for the
intellectual effort of those who created them.
• Commitment to maintaining and improving personal professional knowledge, skills
and competences.
• Respect for the skills and competences of all others, whether information
professionals or information users, employers or colleagues.

18. Key concepts
• Public good
• Balance between creators/mediators/users
• Balance between short and long-term
• Human Rights
• Equality of access to information

19. Code of Professional Practice
• Applies to all CILIP members by merit of membership
• “Applies the ethical principles to the different groups and interests to which CILIP
members must relate”
• Based on applied ethics

20. Code of Professional Practice
• Personal responsibilities
• Responsibilities to information and its users
• Responsibilities to colleagues and the information community
• Responsibilities to society
• Responsibilities as employees

21. Personal responsibilities
• Members should:
• Strive to attain and continue to develop the highest personal standard of
professional knowledge and competence.
• Ensure they are competent in those branches of professional practice in which
qualifications and/or experience entitle them to engage by keeping abreast of
developments in their areas of expertise.
• Claim expertise in areas of library and information work or in other disciplines
only where their skills and knowledge are adequate.
• Refrain from any behaviour in the course of their work which might bring the
information profession into disrepute.

22. Responsibilities to information and its users
• Members should:
• Ensure that information users are aware of the scope and remit of the service
being provided.
• Make the process of providing information, and the standards and procedures
governing that process, as clear and open as possible.
• Avoid inappropriate bias or value judgements in the provision of services.
• Protect the confidentiality of all matters relating to information users, including
their enquiries, any services to be provided, and any aspects of the users'
personal circumstances or business.
• Carry out and use research involving users (e.g. surveys of needs) in a
responsible manner, ensuring that best practice is followed as set out in law or
in codes of conduct recommended by research organisations (e.g. universities)
or professional bodies.

23. Responsibilities to information and its users
• Members should:
• Deal fairly with the competing needs of information users, and resolve
conflicting priorities with due regard for the urgency and importance of the
matters being considered.
• Deal promptly and fairly with any complaints from information users, and keep
them informed about progress in the handling of their complaints.
• Ensure that the information systems and services for which they are responsible
are the most effective, within the resources available, in meeting the needs of
users.
• Ensure that the materials to which they provide access are those which are
most appropriate to the needs of legitimate users of the service.

24. Responsibilities to information and its users
• Members should:
• Defend the legitimate needs and interests of information users, while upholding
the moral and legal rights of the creators and distributors of intellectual
property.
• Respect the integrity of information sources, and cite sources used, as
appropriate.
• Show an appropriate concern for the future information needs of society
through the long term preservation and conservation of materials as required,
as well as an understanding of proper records management.

25. Responsibilities to colleagues and the information community
• Members should:
• Act in ways that promote the profession positively, both to their colleagues and
to the public at large.
• Afford respect and understanding to other colleagues, including those in other
professions and acknowledge their ideas, contributions and work, wherever
and whenever appropriate.
• Refer to colleagues in a professional manner and not discredit or criticise their
work unreasonably or inappropriately.
• When working in an independent capacity, conduct their business in a
professional manner that respects the legitimate rights and interests of others.
• Encourage colleagues, especially those for whom they have a line-management
responsibility, to maintain and enhance their professional knowledge and
competence.

26. Responsibilities to colleagues and the information community
• Members should:
• Ensure that any member of staff to whom a task is delegated has the
knowledge and skills necessary to undertake that task effectively and efficiently.
• Share, where possible, results of research and development projects they have
been involved in to help encourage best practice across the profession and
enable colleagues to improve the services they provide.
• Refrain from ascribing views to, or speaking on behalf of, CILIP, unless
specifically authorised to do so.
• Report significant breaches of this Code to the appropriate authorities.(1)
• Refrain from any behaviour in the course of their work which might bring the
information profession into disrepute.

27. Responsibilities to society
• Members should:
• Consider the public good, both in general and as it refers to particular
vulnerable groups, as well as the immediate claims arising from their
employment and their professional duties.
• Promote equitable access for all members of society to public domain
information of all kinds and in all formats.
• Promote the necessary skills and knowledge amongst users to become effective
independent learners and researchers.
• Strive to achieve an appropriate balance within the law between demands from
information users, the need to respect confidentiality, the terms of their
employment, the public good and the responsibilities outlined in this Code.
• Encourage and promote wider knowledge and acceptance of, and wider
compliance with, this Code, both among colleagues in the information
professions and more widely among those whom we serve.

28. Responsibilities as employees
• Members should:
• Develop a knowledge and understanding of the organisation in which they work
and use their skills and expertise to promote the legitimate aims and objectives
of their employer.
• Avoid engaging in unethical practices during their work and bring to the
attention of their employer any concerns they may have concerning the ethics
or legality of specific decisions, actions or behaviour at work.

29. Role of Professional Codes
• Inspiration
• Practical guidance
• Education
• Discipline or sanction

30. Critiques

31. Collective (un)conscious bias
• Any culture is defined around predominant norms
• These norms are reinforced both overtly (law, culture) and implicitly through
assumptions and ‘collective wisdom’
• In the UK, our culture and ethical norms are defined around principles that were
established under the Enlightenment and reinforced through expansionism/Empire-
building
• We privilege a particular view on ‘social justice’ which reinforces rather than
challenges these norms

32. Everything is political
• All moral choice is a ‘political’ choice, including the choice of non-intervention
• Failing to challenge dominant norms helps to affirm them
• A Chartered Institute (as a charity) cannot:
• Exist solely for a political purpose
• Ally itself exclusively to one political party
• A Chartered Institute can:
• Campaign on political agendas
• Engage with political stakeholders across Government
• There is no such thing as an ‘apolitical’ stance – should a Professional Body be a
campaigner for positive change?

33. A tale full of sound and fury
• Ethical principles are often ‘carrot’ but no ‘stick’
• Without enforcement are the Ethical Principles just good intentions?
• Does having an unenforced Code of Ethics actually sanction the failure to change?
• Without active education does the Code become a vague set of beliefs?
• Without a clear moment of affirmation, are people aware of the Principles?

34. Case Study: Museums Association Code of Ethics

36. MA Ethics Review & new Code of Ethics
• A 5-year project!
• Review their Code of Ethics for fitness-for-purpose & political implications
• Published a new Code of Ethics for Museums in April 2016
• 3 sets of principles:
• Public engagement and public benefit
• Stewardship of collections
• Individual and institutional integrity

37. Useful principles
• Intended to support applied ethics
• Positions ethical reflection as a living part of daily practice
• A duty proactively to champion ethics
• Respect for law and regulation
• Division of public/cultural assets and financial assets
• Transparency
• Upholding public trust

38. Should the review of CILIP’s Ethical Principles and Code of Professional Practice
encompass the question of CILIP’s moral responsibility to champion specific values (such
as equality and diversity) and its accountability in selecting which values to champion?