As information professionals, librarians must consider the consequences of access to information and the potential uses of that information. Even so, librarians are not supposed to withhold or exclude information simply because it may be controversial or offensive. Librarians find themselves within jurisdiction to clarify or correct people about misinformation regarding facts; however, they are not free to openly critique a patron’s perceived values (Wengert 2001).
Trust is an essential component to providing excellent reference services. It is the librarian’s responsibility to foster an environment of trust, where the patron feels s/he can be heard and valued by the librarian. Librarians are called to uphold a user’s right to access and to privacy and confidentiality. Reference librarians should know the ethical guidelines and know where to find answers to ethical questions.
Librarians are guided by rules, but this is not a hard and fast process. Librarians are called to be flexible; it takes the art of interpretation and application to be done successfully. Librarians should steer clear of behaving autonomously by displaying their expertise in a manner that alienates the patron or prevents the patron from being a part of the researching process (Stover 2004). They should endeavor to be patient and reflect an impartial approach to subject matter inquiries. They are supposed to invest themselves in making every effort to meet the patron’s information need and refer when necessary RUSA 2004. Librarians can take advantage of the ‘humanness’ of the reference interview interaction. Even in the midst of vast technological advancements, users still want (and need) contact with real people. Librarians have the opportunity to convey enthusiasm for reference services to their patrons through both verbal and non-verbal cues.
American Library Association Council. 2004. The freedom to read statement. http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/ftrstatement/freedomreadstatement.htm (accessed July 18, 2006).
Reference Users and Services Association. 2004. Guidelines for behavioral performance of reference and information service providers.(accessed July 13, 2006).
Stover, Mark. 2004. The reference librarian as non-expert: A postmodern approach to expertise. The Reference Librarian 87/88: 273-300.
Wengert, Robert G. 2001. Some ethical aspects of being an information professional. Library Trends 49 (3): 486-509.
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