The Ethical Compass: Navigating transparency and accountability in the collection development process

The sheer volume of decisions that need to be made by a Teacher Librarian when developing a collection is incredibly daunting. Having not considered or studied this in great detail prior to commencing this course I can honestly say I had no comprehension of how complex and delicate this process is.

As Head Teacher History I have made decisions on the purchase of textbooks and resources for teacher reference but these have been largely uncontroversial. Purchases were mainly driven by budgetary constraints and curriculum changes. However, I was always conscious of making selections in collaboration with faculty members and incorporating their recommendations where the budget allowed.

A school library collection, on the other hand, serves a much wider section of the school community and must meet their needs, both curriculum and reading for pleasure. As such, the ethical issues are heightened and a TL must be vigilant to maintain transparency and accountability in this process.

The TL must uphold the principles of intellectual freedom but ‘freedom’ does not mean that there are no constraints. A delicate balancing act is needed to weigh the potential harmful impact on readers with providing a diverse range of perspectives. As Morrisey (2008, p.165) notes, TLs are responsible for providing access to a wide range of ideas, even if they challenge societal norms or are controversial, “so that each individual can make…[decisions]…for her/himself”. We also need to make sure our students have been properly prepared when confronted with new, challenging or uncomfortable ideas.

By extension, TLs, must also protect the privacy of patrons. “If they feel monitored…they might walk away (Caudesch, 2018). We want students running to the Library, not feeling judged for their interests. A Library should be a safe place where students can explore new (and old) ideas and interests, with their trusty TL helping them to navigate their learning journey.

 

References

Caudesch, M. (2018). Privacy and Public Intellectual Freedom: Why Trained Library Staff Preserve and Protect Patron Confidentiality. Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy, 3(1), 3-4. DOI:10.5860/jifp.v3i1.6502

Morrisey, L. J. (2008). Ethical issues in collection development. Journal of Library Administration, 47(3-4), 163-171