Toward a Model Code of Ethics for Information Professionals: The Technology Lacuna

Despite their historic fragmentation and typically arms-length relationships, the information disciplines (e.g., librarianship, archives management, records management, information science) have much in common. There are, in fact, forces at work driving them ever closer towards one another. Among these convergent forces are common information technologies, certain economic conditions (e.g., downsizing), and what we believe to be a shared set of ethical principles. While only individuals can follow codes of ethics, the professional associations necessarily play significant roles in the development, publication, revision, and promotion of ethical principles. We wondered if a textual analysis of the codes of ethics sponsored by a variety of associations for information professionals might reveal a set of shared foundational canons. To learn if there were a core set of ethical principles shared by the information professions and if a type of syncretic code might emerge, we analyzed texts of codes issued by information associations. From 267 such associations identified on a world-wide basis we learned that most associations do not have written codes. Analysis of the 35 codes which we collected showed that there were 78 facets in six major areas of concern: client/patron rights and privileges, selection of materials, professional practice, access issues, employer responsibility, and social issues.1 1 The codes we discuss continue to be available collectively and are usable for additional research purposes at the