Information Ethics and Librarianship

Dean Rosa M. Vallejo (retired dean of UP-ILS) delivered a lecture-forum during the 28th MIBF on “Information Ethics and Librarianship in the New Age of ICT” sponsored by The Philippine Foundation for Library Scholarship, Inc. (PFLSI) in cooperation with Fil.Net, a division of Vibal Publishing House, Inc.

That lecture-forum was a late addition/substitution to the MIBF scheduled activities. Due to some unforeseen constraints from the organizers, the speaker was not able to finish her lecture and the two reactors not able to deliver their speeches. According to the resource speaker, only about “35%” of her lecture were able to be discussed. The organizers promised to re-scheduled the forum on a later date and venue to be announce soon. (It is our hope that those who have paid already their registration fee there will not be charge again :D) in the re-scheduled forum in case they decided to re-attend).

Luckily, I was able to secured Dean Vallejo permission for her delivered paper to be posted online here for the information of other colleagues. Since re-typing the 25-pages lecture will take some time, I decided to post for the meantime only pages 17-18 referring to her compilation of “undesirable and unethical conduct of librarians” she attested are “true to life incidences” she was able to compiled through the years. Perusing these 31 listed incidences, I might as well submit to her later my own “undesirable and unethical conduct” experienced with colleagues in the profession :=).

Out of the 31 listed, how many have you committed or on the receiving end of this unethical conduct of our colleagues through-out your professional life as librarian? Be honest to yourself. Let this compilation served us our “conscience mirror”.

Some Undesirable and Unethical Conduct of Librarians
compiled by Dean Rose M. Vallejo

1. Coveting the position of a colleague by maligning the reputation of that colleague.
2. Receiving gifts in cash or in kind from book agents dealing with the library.
3. Charging before the Ombudsman or Sandiganbayan a staff or colleague for flimsy or whatever reason just to harass them.
4. Not lending books to users whom librarians dislike.
5. Having sexual relations with a person not their spouse.
6. Using library facilities to entertain friends and associates by cooking up meals, providing rooms where the favored ones can rest.
7. Absenteeism for no reason at all and frequent absences without due notice.
8. Being habitually late for work.
9. Getting a 10% cut for purchases for the library.
10. Buying computer software that is not going to be used just because it was a friend who was selling it, or buying thousand of copies of books published by a friend.
11. Suspending a staff member for violation of dress code in the library.
12. Suspending a janitor for leaving a mop in the reading room.
13. A chief librarian who spies on the staff when they are absent or when they go out of the library.
14. Should a librarian grant the request of a faculty who wants to examine circulation record of reserve books to find out if her students are doing the assignments?
15. Junior librarian reports to her supervisor that the requisition clerk is in cahoots with the book agent by falsifying invoices, but does not want her name mentioned.
16. Acceding to a patron’s request to remove all books on communism.
17. A librarian refuses to follow the work schedule prepared by her supervisor because she does not want to work on Saturdays.
18. Withholding information from staff on what scholarship are available and what conferences are going to be held for own benefit.
19. Not allowing staff to attend conferences and training programs.
20. Selling books and other library materials that belong to the library for financial gain.
21. A librarian who gossips with the head librarian to get benefits at the expense of co-workers.
22. Two library staff members assigned in the cataloging section who quarreled over the use of a chair.
23. Library association officer who used the money of the association for personal gain.
24. Library association officer in charge of printing the papers of a seminar who collected the cost of printing from the association even if she did not spend for the seminar papers because she got it free from her office.
25. Subordinate librarian who followed the orders of her superior to spy on one of her co-workers.
26. Librarian who wrote derogatory letters about her co-workers who she dislikes and sent it anonymously.
27. Chief librarian who rotated staff members who she disliked.
28. The “tayo-tayo system” of some library associations in the election of their officers.
29. Cheating during the canvassing of ballots so that the favored one will be elected to the board.
30. Blocking the application of a colleague for a position in the library because she does not like the applicant.
31. Dressing down a subordinate in front of many people for having committed a mistake in her work.

Information Ethics and Librarianship

Dean Rosa M. Vallejo (retired dean of UP-ILS) delivered a lecture-forum during the 28th MIBF on “Information Ethics and Librarianship in the New Age of ICT” sponsored by The Philippine Foundation for Library Scholarship, Inc. (PFLSI) in cooperation with Fil.Net, a division of Vibal Publishing House, Inc.

That lecture-forum was a late addition/substitution to the MIBF scheduled activities. Due to some unforeseen constraints from the organizers, the speaker was not able to finish her lecture and the two reactors not able to deliver their speeches. According to the resource speaker, only about “35%” of her lecture were able to be discussed. The organizers promised to re-scheduled the forum on a later date and venue to be announce soon. (It is our hope that those who have paid already their registration fee there will not be charge again :D) in the re-scheduled forum in case they decided to re-attend).

Luckily, I was able to secured Dean Vallejo permission for her delivered paper to be posted online here for the information of other colleagues. Since re-typing the 25-pages lecture will take some time, I decided to post for the meantime only pages 17-18 referring to her compilation of “undesirable and unethical conduct of librarians” she attested are “true to life incidences” she was able to compiled through the years. Perusing these 31 listed incidences, I might as well submit to her later my own “undesirable and unethical conduct” experienced with colleagues in the profession :=).

Out of the 31 listed, how many have you committed or on the receiving end of this unethical conduct of our colleagues through-out your professional life as librarian? Be honest to yourself. Let this compilation served us our “conscience mirror”.

Some Undesirable and Unethical Conduct of Librarians
compiled by Dean Rose M. Vallejo

1. Coveting the position of a colleague by maligning the reputation of that colleague.
2. Receiving gifts in cash or in kind from book agents dealing with the library.
3. Charging before the Ombudsman or Sandiganbayan a staff or colleague for flimsy or whatever reason just to harass them.
4. Not lending books to users whom librarians dislike.
5. Having sexual relations with a person not their spouse.
6. Using library facilities to entertain friends and associates by cooking up meals, providing rooms where the favored ones can rest.
7. Absenteeism for no reason at all and frequent absences without due notice.
8. Being habitually late for work.
9. Getting a 10% cut for purchases for the library.
10. Buying computer software that is not going to be used just because it was a friend who was selling it, or buying thousand of copies of books published by a friend.
11. Suspending a staff member for violation of dress code in the library.
12. Suspending a janitor for leaving a mop in the reading room.
13. A chief librarian who spies on the staff when they are absent or when they go out of the library.
14. Should a librarian grant the request of a faculty who wants to examine circulation record of reserve books to find out if her students are doing the assignments?
15. Junior librarian reports to her supervisor that the requisition clerk is in cahoots with the book agent by falsifying invoices, but does not want her name mentioned.
16. Acceding to a patron’s request to remove all books on communism.
17. A librarian refuses to follow the work schedule prepared by her supervisor because she does not want to work on Saturdays.
18. Withholding information from staff on what scholarship are available and what conferences are going to be held for own benefit.
19. Not allowing staff to attend conferences and training programs.
20. Selling books and other library materials that belong to the library for financial gain.
21. A librarian who gossips with the head librarian to get benefits at the expense of co-workers.
22. Two library staff members assigned in the cataloging section who quarreled over the use of a chair.
23. Library association officer who used the money of the association for personal gain.
24. Library association officer in charge of printing the papers of a seminar who collected the cost of printing from the association even if she did not spend for the seminar papers because she got it free from her office.
25. Subordinate librarian who followed the orders of her superior to spy on one of her co-workers.
26. Librarian who wrote derogatory letters about her co-workers who she dislikes and sent it anonymously.
27. Chief librarian who rotated staff members who she disliked.
28. The “tayo-tayo system” of some library associations in the election of their officers.
29. Cheating during the canvassing of ballots so that the favored one will be elected to the board.
30. Blocking the application of a colleague for a position in the library because she does not like the applicant.
31. Dressing down a subordinate in front of many people for having committed a mistake in her work.