Do libraries discriminate?

An interesting study excerpt appeared in Back Talk. Library Journal, Jan. 9, 2018.  Researchers Guiliassopetti, Tonin, and Vlassoupos researched discrimination in public libraries.  The researchers sent emails to 19,000 U.S. libraries asking for library hours and other such simple requests.  Two of the emails had white-sounding names, and two emails had black-sounding names: Jake Mueller, Greg Walsh, DeSean Jackson, and Tyrone Washington.   The emails from the black-sounding names were 4% less likely to receive an answer. In addition, responses to the black-sounding names were less cordial.  The LJ comments after the article synopsis are very interesting.
What does our Code of Ethics say about this?  What do you think?




Here is the LJ link: http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2018/01/opinion/backtalk/librarians-discriminate-backtalk/.  This research is due to be published in the Journal of the European Economic Association.  Image from https://www.washingtonwontdiscriminate.org/

Ethical Librarian

This blog accompanies the course Information Ethics LS 5833, Spring 2018.  Once an ethical issue is decided upon, this blog will feature resources and media that reveal and explore facets of the selected ethical problem.





ethics scale image is from https://azatty.wordpress.com/tag/arizona/

Ethical neutrality a myth?

Recently, we read a 2007 article by Lankes titled The Ethics of Participatory Librarianship. The theoretical lens for this article is conversation theory, which tells us that knowledge is gained through conversation.  At one point, Lenkes tells us that since libraries are in the knowledge business, they must be in the conversation business (5) and then Lenkes rhetorically posits ...Can librarians interfere with, and shape conversations.  Absolutely.  Should we?  We can't help it (p. 5).  Finally he says that ethical neutrality is a myth.  Do you agree with that? Take the poll. And do you agree that libraries should interfere and shape conversations?  Add your comment below!

Here is a youtube clip about what Yale students thought about ripping a dvd, then returning it back to the library.Yale students respond

This blog accompanies the course Information Ethics, LS 5833, and will be used all Spring 201emester. We will use this blog to discuss and dissect ethical issues.