National library associations as reflected in their codes of ethics: Four codes examined

There are numerous professional associations for librarians and libraries. A small proportion of these have promulgated codes of ethics. These codes of ethics vary along several dimensions. Often the code reflects the social, political, or professional mandate of its organization. This paper aims to address ethics codes and their functions in professional associations that have individuals as members.

It is suggested that for these organizations there are several different types of ethics codes. This paper addresses the four most common types. The oldest code (American Library Association), one of the newest (Association des Bibliothécaires Français), and two of a more average age (Canadian Library Association and Colegio de Bibliotecarios de Chile) are compared and considered in detail.

The paper finds that, while most library and information professionals share similar values, as reflected in their codes of ethics, the application of those codes varies widely.

The paper provides useful information on codes of ethics for libraries and librarians.