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 librarian realizes they made a cataloging error that misclassified a large number of items, making them difficult to find. The ethical response is to:
Answer: Correct the error and notify supervisors as appropriate
Professional accountability requires acknowledging and correcting errors to maintain the quality and integrity of library services.
Which scenario represents an appropriate use of patron data collected by a library's digital services?
Answer: Sharing aggregate usage statistics with the library board for planning
Sharing anonymized, aggregate usage data for institutional planning is appropriate and does not violate individual patron privacy.
A librarian working at a public library in Georgia is asked to participate in a political campaign during work hours using library resources. This would violate:
Answer: Professional ethics and likely state employment law regarding public resources
Using public resources for partisan political activities violates professional ethics and typically state laws governing public employees.
The principle of 'equity of access' in library ethics means that:
Answer: Library services should be accessible regardless of economic or social status
Equity of access means libraries must work to ensure all community members can access services regardless of economic, social, or other barriers.
A librarian is processing an interlibrary loan and notices the requested item is on a sensitive topic. The most ethical action is to:
Answer: Process the request without inquiring about the patron's purpose
Librarians should not inquire into patrons' reasons for requesting materials; processing without questioning respects intellectual freedom.
An ethical conflict arises when a library's donor offers a major gift contingent on removing specific materials from the collection. A librarian should recommend:
Answer: Declining the conditional gift to protect collection integrity
Accepting gifts with strings attached that compromise collection integrity violates the ethical duty to maintain intellectual freedom.
A librarian is writing a grant proposal and is tempted to inflate usage statistics to improve the chances of funding. This would constitute:
Answer: Research misconduct and a violation of professional ethics
Falsifying data in grant applications is research misconduct and a serious breach of professional ethics and honesty.