Oklahoma Library Association Endorsement and Amplification of the American Library Association Statement of Professional Ethics

Librarians must provide the highest level of service through appropriate and usefully organized collections, fair and equitable circulation and service policies, and skillful, accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests for assistance.

The library profession expects their members to be competent, committed, dedicated individuals, who care about providing a high level of service to their clients. In order to provide effectively that service, they must know their clients and be familiar with their needs and abilities. Through this knowledge they endeavor to select and develop an appropriate collection that shall be organized according to recognized bibliographic standards, to ensure not only physical access, but also intellectual access. Written policies and procedures shall ensure equitable circulation policies and service to all clients. Skillful, accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests result from collection knowledge, careful reference interviews, and bibliographic instruction. Paraprofessionals and clerical helpers shall be given appropriate training to familiarize them with all policies and procedures.
Librarians must resist all efforts by groups or individuals to censor library materials.

The librarian has the unquestioned obligation to provide a representative selection of materials on all subjects of interest to readers, including each side of controversial issues. No material shall be eliminated from consideration in the collection simply because of language or frank treatment, verbal or illustrative, of certain situations which may be objectionable to some people. The librarian serves as the bridge between clients and the material and information which those clients desire; the duty of the librarian is to facilitate that interchange. Any action on the part of a librarian to impede that flow shall be deemed inappropriate. The librarian must be consistently vigilant against groups and individuals attempting to impede that free flow of information. Accessibility is the responsibility which librarians have to their clients.
Librarians must protect each user’s right to privacy with respect to information sought or received, and materials consulted, borrowed, or acquired.

As an institution basic to democratic society, libraries must preserve an atmosphere in which the patron’s access to information and search for knowledge are treated as matters of privacy. The right to privacy is a basic human right; abrogation of that right can damage the service role of a library and compromise the integrity of librarians. Information deemed confidential in nature is protected by Oklahoma law and includes circulation records, interlibrary loan requests, computerized literature searches, reference questions, and other such professional services. Information gained by a librarian in serving a patron should be treated with confidentiality accorded by doctors and lawyers and shall be released only upon issuance of a court order or a subpoena in proper form and for demonstrable cause, or upon the request or granting of permission in writing by the patron.
Librarians must adhere to the principles of due process and equality of opportunity in peer relationships and personnel actions.

Society has attempted to redress long-standing injustices and social inequalities through Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity programs. As a part of the social and intellectual human experience, libraries also shall apply ethical standards and practices to insure equality in all aspects of employment and work relationships. Employment-related decisions must be made on the basis of valid job-related criteria and not on personality traits that are unrelated to job competency. A fair judgment of competence in actions dealing with staff appointments, retentions, and promotions includes professional responsibility for making full and fair disclosures of relevant information to the individual involved. Thus can be engendered an atmosphere of collegiality and professional development which will be of benefit to the patron and the community served.
Librarians must distinguish clearly in their actions and statements between their personal philosophies and attitudes and those of an institution or professional body.

Librarians should not refuse to provide information on the grounds of their personal beliefs or the possible uses to which patrons may put the knowledge gained. As a professional, the librarian must have the objectivity to differentiate between personal bias and professional duty, and this requires first a knowledge of the philosophies of the professional body of librarianship, for it is our professional responsibility to provide access to information, not to advocate particular viewpoints or to make moral judgments.
Librarians must avoid situations in which personal interests might be served or financial benefits gained at the expense of library users, colleagues, or the employing institution.

As a profession, librarians are routinely entrusted with information or knowledge that can be sensitive, confidential or timely. Such knowledge might be used inappropriately to enhance personal interests or positions, usually penalizing other parties with a legitimate right. This particular statement emphasizes the profession's concern for high levels of both professional and personal integrity which results in a character and conduct that promotes confidence in the profession. Use of professional position or knowledge to advance illegitimately personal interests violates the integrity and health of the library profession. In conducting professional affairs it is imperative that personal interests not be allowed to supersede professional duty; a duty which is understood to be analogous with service--service to others, not to personal gain.

Adopted in May, 1989, by the Oklahoma Library Association.