Code of Ethics for Librarians and Information Professionals

Abstract

"Basic moral values which define the professional mission of librarians and information professionals involve the protection of intellectual freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of access to knowledge, information and culture and the compliance with the principle of ideological, political and religious neutrality. Librarians and information professionals ought to be persons worthy of public trust, experts who mediate between readers and information users and written and information resources those users need to perform various tasks and attain their goals. The code of ethics for librarians and information professionals defines basic principles binding for all representatives of the profession and identifying their social mission and ethical responsibility in all environments of their professional activity. The principles in question are divided into three groups. The first one involves principles of general relevance. Five subsequent sub-groups of the second group involve ethical standards defining the responsibility of the profession toward the public, library and information users, library and information resources, the professional community, employers and employing institutions. Third group involves obligations concerning the popularization of professional ethics and compliance with its principles."