Ethics & Professional Responsibilities Flashcards
7 cards from real GLC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Ethics & Professional Responsibilities flashcards as text
A library director discovers that a staff member has been sharing patron checkout records with a local law enforcement officer without a court order. What is the most appropriate first step?
Answer: Notify the library board and consult legal counsel
The director should notify the library board and consult legal counsel to address the potential privacy violation in accordance with Georgia law and ALA policy.
Under the ALA Code of Ethics, how should a librarian handle a personal belief that conflicts with providing access to legal but controversial materials?
Answer: Provide equitable access regardless of personal views
The ALA Code of Ethics requires librarians to provide equitable access to all legal materials, setting aside personal beliefs.
A librarian is offered a gift card by a vendor after selecting their database product. What is the ethically correct response?
Answer: Decline and report the offer to a supervisor
Accepting gifts from vendors can create conflicts of interest; the ethical response is to decline and report the offer.
A patron requests that the library delete their borrowing history. Under Georgia library confidentiality principles, what should the librarian do?
Answer: Honor the request in accordance with the library's privacy policy
Libraries should honor patron requests to purge borrowing history as part of upholding patron privacy rights.
When a colleague engages in professional misconduct, a librarian's ethical obligation under the ALA Code of Ethics is to:
Answer: Report the conduct through appropriate channels
The ALA Code of Ethics obligates librarians to address misconduct through appropriate reporting channels to uphold professional standards.
A school librarian in Georgia is asked by a teacher to block access to websites related to a topic the teacher finds objectionable, even though the sites are educationally relevant. The librarian should:
Answer: Consult the district's collection development and internet use policy
The librarian should consult established policy rather than unilaterally restricting access based on a teacher's personal objections.
Which principle best describes the librarian's duty when a minor requests access to materials that are legal but intended for adults?
Answer: Balance intellectual freedom with parental rights and library policy
Librarians must balance intellectual freedom, parental rights, and institutional policy when serving minors seeking adult materials.