Social Media Ethical Issues: Role of a Librarian

     Social media is simply defined in this 2013 article by J. Wasike as "an instrument of communication but with a social aspect to it." Included in the list of examples of social media are the websites YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, blogs, wikis, and MySpace. The prevalent use of social media have given rise to ethical concerns such as those that include identity, privacy, surveillance, friending, and user exploitation--"users are lulled into a false sense of security by the web sites who seek to profit from their information."
     J. Wasike pointed out that, as the modern library embraced Library 2.0 "making the library's virtual and physical spaces more interactive, collaborative, and driven by user needs," the librarian's role is expanded to include the knowledge and ability to use social media. Beyond being aware of the basic features of these technologies, librarians must "engage in discussions about the consequences of social media ethical issues," and be able to educate library users on social media and related ethical issues.

Three Points

     1. Deleting it does not mean it is gone...forever.

     2. Ethical concerns in using social media.

     3. Librarians are not to sit back and relax.

Deleting it does not mean it is gone...forever.

     One of the things that was mentioned in the article was the fact that it is extremely difficult to be sure that information is permanently deleted and equally impossible to ascertain that information is not shared or copied. Deleting or deactivating personal accounts in the social media sites is especially troublesome as the person does not have a hold on the information that has been shared, distributed or copied. This is a major issue that librarians must be able to express concern in to be able to educate and advocate for a more ethical use of social media technologies.

Information in/and social media.

     J. Wasike pointed out that "with ready access to social media, many users tend to focus on quick retrieval and do not always understand the importance of evaluation and maximization of information contained therein." The librarian's role therefore becomes a necessity as there is a need to educate library users on how to evaluate information and information sources. It is the librarian who is best suited for this role as he is sure to be trained in information and media literacy.

Librarians are not to sit back and relax. 

     More than manning the physical librarian's desk, a librarian need to ask himself "How can I provide the best and fairest balance between social media access and protection?" Librarians need to engage in the discussions for a more ethical use of social media technologies. More than being aware of the basic ins and outs of social media usage, the librarians need to"make decisions with the objective of helping all library users develop their sense of ethics and then to translate this reflection to action."

Implication

     The academic library I am in right now is not actively engaged in the discussions on ethical issues in social media. In the first place it is not actively using social media technologies. I have only started to realize that the social media is a great tool for the library, through the librarian, in order to effectively and efficiently reach out and provide service to its primary clientele. However, this does not excuse me from the fact that I need to educate myself in order to improve myself professionally, in effect improving the library I am serving in.

     "How can I provide the best and fairest balance between social media access and protection?" is the best question that a librarian can ask himself to be able to effectively serve the library users of today. Engage. Advocate. Educate. The librarian can not afford to sit back and relax. He needs to be at the forefront knowing that he is in the best possible position to advocate and educate library users on ethical issues connected to the use of social media.

Reference

Wasike, J. (2013). Social media ethical issues: role of a librarian. Library Hi Tech News, 1, 8-16. 

     doi: 10/1108/07419051311320922

The Ethics of Library Resource Sharing in the Digital Age

     Librarians operate from an established ethical framework that may work against them, especially in dealing with digital materials. Beth Posner (2012), in a paper that was presented at the IFLA 12th Interlending and Document Supply Conference, presented moral arguments through which librarians can navigate the ethical implications of resource sharing in the digital age. These moral arguments are anchored on the following ethical theories: justice as fairness, utilitarianism/consequentialism, rights theory/deontology, and common good theory. Ethical issues arising in the practice of resource sharing of digital materials in the library setting can be analysed through these ethical theories.

Three Points

     1. Choosing to go green.
     2. Choosing to be fair.
     3. Choosing to serve.

     Choosing to go green. Resource sharing becomes easy when it comes to digital materials,which inevitably means a lesser carbon footprint for this particular library activity. Choosing a greener alternative to interlibrary loan/information sharing is for the common good. B. Posner argued that publisher demands for licensing compliance in order to limit online access is outweighed by the fact that the environmental impact of doing so benefits everyone.

     Choosing to be fair. Library policies and rules help to ensure that the library's mandate is met in the best possible way. Specifically, rules and policies on resource sharing need to reflect the principle of fairness. This means that differently abled clients need to have the same access to information as any other library client. This also means that access to computers or electronic reading devices need to be provided in order to provide fair service to library clients who do not have access to these. No library client should be made to feel disadvantaged because information sharing has gone digital.

     Choosing to serve. The cost for subscribing to or purchasing digital materials, oftentimes, is higher than the cost of its printed version. To defray cost, libraries join consortia. However, ironing details for resource sharing in library consortia is not an easy thing to take on. The end result though is that library clients with information needs are served.

Implications

     The face of library service has changed with the rise of technological developments. With this, the demand for an ethical library service is redefined. The access and use of digital materials need to be addressed by fair library policies and rules which reflect our changing realities.
     This means that I need to be an ethical librarian--aware of the implications of the use of digital materials as well as the questions arising from the sharing of the same. Although, I would love that everybody would have access to these wonderful mines of information, the rights of the authors and the publishers are a major consideration too.

Reference

Posner, B. (2012). The ethics of library resource sharing in the digital age. Interlending & Document 
     Supply, 40 (2), 119-124. doi: 10.1108/02641611211239614

p.s.

In the same article, B. Posner mentioned the ALA's Library Bill of Rights, the eBook User's Bill of Rights, and a Readers' Bill of Rights for Digital Books. All of which are interesting links to visit and read.