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Ethics in the Real World: Library Case Studies

Group: Library Courses | Instructor: Self-paced | Schedule: Open


Library ethics involve the study of moral issues: good and evil, right and wrong — as they apply to making decisions and taking action in your library.

This course, authored by noted library and organization consultant Pat Wagner, uses case studies (stories that highlight specific ethical challenges in libraries) to provide an opportunity to think, write, and talk about ethics. These simple case studies present stories about what can (and does) typically happen in libraries in an effort to help you anticipate complex ethical issues. By studying, thinking, writing, and talking about other people's library-related ethical dilemmas, you can become more comfortable recognizing and responding to challenges in your own library.

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How will you know three months from now if this class is successful? How might your thinking, behaviors or decisions be different after you take this class?
  • You find yourself more sensitive to ethical situations at the library that you previously might have ignored or overlooked
  • You are more likely to recognize the potential ethical problems in a proposed library policy
  • You find it easier to put yourself in another person's shoes and understand his or her point of view
  • You are less likely to jump to conclusions when you hear bad things about another person
  • You feel more interested in discussions about libraries and ethics
  • You find yourself speaking up in conversations about governing the library and asking questions
  • The ethical mistakes that your library colleagues make bother you more, but you are less likely to blame and more likely to take responsibility for your own mistakes
  • You are less likely to be panicked into making hasty decisions regarding library policies
  • You recognize what you think are good ethical decisions in others

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