Information Ethics

UGA : COE : EPIT : SLM : MAF : 6340 : Topics : Information Ethics

Information Ethics

Required Readings

Bishop 13
Repman & Dickinson pp. 68-69 (Fisher & Hill)

Standards

1.1D Adheres to and communicates legal and ethical policies
1.3D Complies with and communicates the legal and ethical codes of the profession
3.2A Models, shares, promotes ethical and legal principles of education and librarianship (in the Instructional Partner role)

Discussion Points

Copyright reprise
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Blog entries: 13Feb08 |
Review:
http://it.coe.uga.edu/~mfitzger/copyright.html
Jefferson County, Colorado Permitted/Not Permitted List

You must inform teachers formally every year; document. Recommended: provide a brochure or other small handout; perhaps introduce orally in a faculty meeting; get their sign-off each year. Include this procedure in your selection policy under copyright. Have a good primer on hand. Always be prepared to provide more information to staff members, and to research any copyright question. Some may be too complex, and need to be referred to your system support person.
Key idea: "fair use"
In the Selection Policy, Copyright Policy (or Information Ethics section): describes services you offer in support of intellectual property rights and ethical information use. Include the document or procedure used to disseminate copyright information annually. Reference an authority that you can readily use as an information source. Address the ethical information behavior expected of your students. Do not duplicate copyright law here, but it is appropriate to provide references to it.
The Copyright section of the Selection Policy should not attempt to duplicate legal explanations and lengthy details. Instead, condense the policy into a small document that references authoritative copyright information and requires school staff to follow the law. Alternatively, provide a pamphlet or other concise format borrowed (and cited) from elsewhere.
Emphasize helping staff to be ethical information users, rather than enforcing the rules yourself. Students must also follow the law, and must be guided in their learning to do so.
In the selection process, questions may arise about avoiding purchases of things that can be found for "free," or used in part under fair use. This is why your policy should reinforce the importance of copyright compliance, and why you should have a basic understanding of fair use in order to take advantage of your legal rights.
Referencing is a key weapon against plagiarism. You must understand it thoroughly yourself in order that you can model it for students. The style itself is not important; we happen to use APA. Inline citations (in APA) or footnotes are the most direct ways to attribute ideas to their proper origins.
Highlights of above. Jefferson County checklist is highly useful.
Know what rights you're buying
Keep abreast by reading - expect annual changes. Useful readings, meetings include ...

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Supplemental Readings

MAF's bookmarks: info-ethics; APA; plagiarism; copyleft
Morris 10
MAF's commentaries on Bishop: WebCT 6340 Resources
Simpson (2005): an example of an authoritative copyright primer; you should have one such primer available in your media center.

References

Bishop, K. (2007). The collection program in schools: Concepts, practices, and information scources (4th ed.). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Fisher, J.D., & Hill, A. (2004). Plagiarism in an electronic age. Library Media Connection, 23 (3), 18-19. [in Repman & Dickinson, p. 68-69]
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Morris, B.J. (2004). Administering the school library media center (4th ed.). Westport, CN: Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 1-59158-183-4.
Repman, J., & Dickinson, G.K. (2007). School library management (6th ed.). Columbus, OH: Linworth.
Simpson, C. (2005). Copyright for schools: A practical guide (4th ed.). Worthington, OH: Linworth.

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Page history:section updated 1-22-08; structural work 12-31-08, 1/6/09