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International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions - Code of Ethics for Librarians and other Information Workers

Nov 03, 2021

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Summary

According to the IFLA, "The core mission of librarians and other information workers is to ensure access to information for all for personal development, education, cultural enrichment, leisure, economic activity and informed participation in and enhancement of democracy." The ethical principles for librarians are derived from this mission.
The code of ethics was adopted in 2012 by the IFLA governing board (IFLA, 2012). It opposes censorship and promotes equity of access and non-discrimination. Notably, it also supports "provision of services free of cost to the user" and in a later section supports "the principles of open access, open source, and open licenses."
These principles are based on the nature of the occupation and are balanced with a responsibility to producers of works. "Librarians and other information workers' interest is to provide the best possible access for library users to information and ideas in any media or format, whilst recognising that they are partners of authors, publishers and other creators of copyright protected works."

Content

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