How
can we be most effective at the job we do, while creating a space for patrons
where they feel safe and able to access information? I feel like the American
Library Association Code of Ethics ultimately tries to address this question,
as confusing situations that happen in libraries often require a set of guiding
principles that adhere to the tenets of librarianship. Yet, these guiding
principles are not foolproof, and they do not provide assistance when
confronting a situation where different codes of ethics contradict one another.
One
example of this contradiction that I can think of derives from my current
experiences with my 501 project. My client is Salem-South Lyon District
Library, which is a library in a rural community that serves patrons in cities
and townships in three different counties. A prominent issue is how residents
in the nearby township, Lyon Charter Township, cannot check out materials at
the library without paying a yearly fee, even though some residents live across
the street from the library. The reasoning behind this fee is that Lyon Charter
Township residents have their own library that they pay taxes to support.
Furthermore, the Lyon Charter Township library and the Salem-South Lyon
District Library belong to a consortium, called the Library Network, which allows member libraries to share materials.
According
to Smith and Wong, “consortia enable much-expanded access to eResources and
ILL, which in turn enable reference librarians to respond to a wider variety of
patron needs in more depth.” [1] However, in this case, that expanded access
comes at a price: since more residents from Lyon Charter Township go to
Salem-South Lyon District Library (about 5% more) for services rather than
their own library, the Library Network enables cost recovery measures. [2] With
this situation, two ethics statements collide – providing “equitable service
policies” and “we do not advance private interests at the expense of library
users.” [3] How can librarians and library staff provide equitable service if the
rules of public or private consortiums conflict with that goal? In terms of
cost recovery, how can librarians serve everyone who comes through their doors
without suffering increased financial strain? These issues lie at the heart of
responsible librarianship, as librarians try to negotiate how their ethics can
interact with the reality in front of them.
--
[1]
Burke, Rick. “Cooperation and Consortia.” In Reference and Information
Services: An Introduction, eds. Linda C. Smith and Melissa A. Wong. (Santa
Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2017), p. 151.
[2] Salem-South Lyon District Library. Non-Resident
User Fee Information. http://ssldl.info/sites/default/files/attachments/Lyon%20Township%20User%20Fee%20Brochure%202013_1.pdf
[3] American Library Association. “Code
of Ethics of the American Library Association.” Adopted at the 1939 Midwinter Meeting by the ALA Council;
amended June 30, 1981; June 28, 1995; and January 22, 2008.
The last library I worked in before I started grad school was in a similar pickle. Another library sought to include townships that our library had previously serviced, thus null and voiding our agreement with those townships. As a courtesy, the library I worked in extended current card holders' memberships for another year. It was a crummy situation, not unlike school districts, where people lived closer to our library than the other but, alas taxes are important.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I see how the consortium interests collide with a non-resident fee? The consortium seems to be providing a way for both libraries to check out materials, although patrons may have to get them from their "home" library, so I guess I'm not seeing the conflict for some reason.
I hate having to tell someone that they have to pay for a library membership as a non-resident but that does not mean they are completely excluded from using the library; they can still use materials in-house but it is stinky that they can't check them out. I think this is where practicalities intrude on library ideals and must be viewed as a necessary evil. Unfortunately books aren't free and it costs money to keep the lights on. As a state funded institution libraries can't serve everyone in the exact same capacity if they live outside the service zone. Going back to the school district example. Everyone is guaranteed a public education in the U.S. but that doesn't mean students can go to whatever school they like. It seems counter intuitive but I think the practicality of it justifies the non-resident fee.
I had a very similar view of the ethical dilemmas of consortiums when I completed the reading. While I took a more political/economic approach, tying into another aspect of the code itself, it got complicated very quickly. I really appreciated you looking at the tensions within a single tenant and taking the time to draw out the issues that arise for the actual users of individual libraries within a consortium.
ReplyDeleteThe tension between two ethical standards is always the most fraught (and interesting!) policy terrain, isn't it? Interesting case study, thanks for contextualizing the readings so well with on-the-ground examples. It really helps to make those connections.
ReplyDelete