Professional Value 3: Integrity

"Exhibit ethical behavior, knowledge, and attitudes."

What does "Integrity" in the Information Professions mean to me...

Integrity in the information professions is something that most librarians speak passionately about. They those librarians, I too champion access to information, patron privacy, and intellectual property rights. I adhere to the IFLA Code of Ethics for Librarians and other Information Workers which states that:

Librarianship is, in its very essence, an ethical activity embodying a value-rich approach to professional work with information. The need to share ideas and information has grown more important with the increasing complexity of society in recent centuries and this provides a rationale for libraries and the practice of librarianship. The role of information institutions and professionals, including libraries and librarians, in modern society is to support the optimisation of the recording and representation of information and to provide access to it. Information service in the interest of social, cultural and economic well-being is at the heart of librarianship and therefore librarians have social responsibility.

I also agree with the IFLA Code of Ethics in regards to "improving professional self-awareness" and providing transparency to our patrons. Librarians are often on the front lines of neutrality, by providing unbiased perspectives on collections and materials. While librarians can not win the fight against intellectual freedom and patron privacy, they must continue to practice integrity within the information professions in order to servce as a guiding light to patrons.