Ethical Issues In Collection Development

Hay, Shana

Morrisey, L. J. (2008). Ethical issues in collection development. Journal of Library Administration, 47(3/4), 163-171. doi: 10.1080/01930820802186506

Evaluation: This article looks at some of the ethical issues that may arise in the undertaking of a collection development policy. The author specifically outlines how information obtained from interactions between the managers, vendors, and patrons of a given library system can have a direct effect on the resources available in a library. It is critical that collections staff make equitable and ethical decisions when considering what materials to acquire, and this paper recommends utilising a combination of the ALA Code of Ethics, internal collections guidelines, and collaboration with fellow collections staff as a way of ensuring ethical guidelines are being followed when building and providing access to library resources.  

Summary: This article poses several questions designed to help librarians assess the ethical issues that may affect the development of an equitable collection reflective of the community being served by a given library system. I appreciated how Morrisey took specific lines from the ALA’s Code of Ethics and showed how those principles can guide collections development, and he brought up several points I had never considered. First, he outlines the importance of establishing a mechanism for accepting and responding to collection requests- allowing patrons to directly influence purchases and thus creating a collection reflective of the community (and not the preferences of the collections librarian!). Interestingly, the author recommends not acknowledging what he defines as “self interested communication”, in other words, direct contact from publishers or authors. I don’t know if I agree with this rule, as I can see benefits from building relationships with content creators, however I understand the need to look at these connections with some caution to avoid the appearance of favouritism.

   One of the more interesting sections of the article deals with the need for collections librarians to separate personal feelings when evaluating controversial materials. The example of a librarian working in a religious institution tasked with deciding what resources related to birth control or LGBTQI topics to include. Librarians must resist all efforts to censor library resources, but how can this principle be practically applied, and how is this ensured? This ties into the author’s later conversation regarding the importance of distinguishing between personal convictions and professional duties and stresses the need for collections decisions to be made collaboratively when possible, to avoid personal bias. Collaboration also helps ensure that the interests of library users come before the personal interests of a particular librarian.

   The notion of gifts and perks was one I had never connected with librarianship before, and this article does a great job of outlining some of the concerns surrounding receiving gifts such as dinners or appointments to vendor advisory boards. These gifts should only be accepted with conditions that the acceptance does not indicate a preference for one vendor over another. When considering a digital subscription, it is also important to understand the scope of the vendor’s access to patron information. Will they be able to track individual users? Will they use collected stats to market other services to the library? The answers to these questions may impact the adoption of a service and should be considered before entering into any agreements with vendors.

   This article highlights some of the important ethical issues that should be considered by collections staff as they develop the resources of their institution. By outlining the specific sections in the ALA’s statement on the ethical responsibilities of librarians and providing examples of when those responsibilities may be tested, this article serves as a practical resource for libraries as they continue to develop their collections. Morrisey has developed a useful best practice guide that offers easy to follow advice related to tackling issues of ethics in library collections.