Edili: Ethical dilemmas for librarians and other information workers: case studies

Overview of the previously registered case studies
The database contains 27 case studies

IDTitleKeywordsType of libraryType of activity
1 Use of filtering software Filtering software ; freedom of information ; protection of minors Public library Use
2 Armenian Genocide Armenians; equal treatment; freedom of expression; neutrality; pluralism; censorship Scientific library; city public library Cooperation with external partners; space allocation
3 Assisted Dying Neutrality ; assisted dying ; censorship Public library

Collection development

4 Use of RFID Data protection ; user’s point of view ; rationalisation ; RFID ; monitoring Public library

Academic library 		Use

Management
5 Instructions for bomb-making Protection of minors ; freedom of information ; leftism ; political violence; explosive devices; terrorism; censorship Public library

Use
6 Reviews in the catalogue Catalogue enrichment ; neutrality ; review Public library Development
7 Cultivation of cannabis Data protection ; drugs ; cannabis cultivation ; police investigations ; police access to user data Public library Management
8 Suicide Suicide ; responsibility ; censorship Public library Collection development
9 Anorexic girl Data protection ; protection of minors ; anorexia ; responsibility ; confidentiality Public library Use
10 Creationism Fundamentalism ; gift ; creationism ; neutrality ; sect Public library

Collection development
11 Piglet book Atheism ; child protection ; children′s books ; censorship Public library in a small town Collection development

Development
12 Sex tourism Development ; feminism ; misogyny; sexism; sex tourism; keywords Academic library Development
13 Customer or user? Library function ; educational mission; public service ; economisation ; New Public Management Public library Public relations

14 Bookbinding Bookbinding ; book cover ; courtesy ; corruption Academic library Management
15 Animal rights Equal treatment ; hunting ; neutrality ; animal rights activists Public library Use
16 Negro king Children′s books ; political correctness ; racism ; text authenticity Public library Collection development
17 Homework exchange Fraud ; filtering software ; homework exchange ; internet access ; obtaining grades by fraud ; plagiarism Academic library Use
18 Bestseller service Bestseller service ; range of services ; fees ; cost of freedom ; professionalism ; social commitment Public library Use
19 Gay parents Homosexuality ; child protection; children′s books ; gay parents ; censorship Public library Use

20 Burka wearing Acceptable use policy ; misogyny ; clothing ; cultural diversity ; religion Public library

Academic library 		Use
21 Smell of urine Harassment ; damage ; equal treatment ; smells ; media ; smell of urine Public library

Academic library 		Use
22 Transvestite Harassment ; transvestite Public library

Academic library 		Use
23 Guttenberg Development ; Guttenberg ; plagiarism ; tradition Academic library Development
24 Activities on first day of school Enrolment ; corruption ; promotion of reading ; neutrality ; sponsorship Public library Public relations

Management
25 Indexing term foreign infiltration Development ; neutrality ; indexing Public library

Academic library 		Development
26 Author reading Author reading ; blackmail ; political pressure ; quality Public library

District library 		Space allocation
27 Homophobia Exhibition ; homophobia ; homosexuality ; caricature ; artistic freedom ; freedom of expression ; censorship City public library Use

case study 12: Sex tourism
Case description:One day, the University Library receives an indignant email from members of the local group of the womenŒs association Courage. The keyword "sex tourism" is strongly criticised. All the titles in the library with this keyword were not about sex tourism, but prostitution tourism. The publications have such titles as "The Rape of the Defenceless", "Men, Prostitution Tourism", "Broken Roses: Child Prostitution and Tourism in Asia" or "Sex Tourism in Southeast Asia".

The term sex tourism is clearly a trivialisation because the books describe exclusively forms of tourism in which women, usually children in the framework of organised prostitution, are abused, exploited and enslaved. The protest email demands that the "misogynist trivialisation be immediately deleted" and replaced with the keyword "prostitution tourism".

The library acquired the records, including the indexing of the national bibliography, as third-party data. The national bibliography refers to "prostitution tourism" as "sex tourism". How should one respond to the request?

Potential solution 1:After examining the case, you announce that unfortunately a change is not possible because the keywords are allocated by a central authority on the basis of rules that are mandatory for the parties involved and the local library does not have the power to override this set of rules. The rules are obliged to reflect the greatest possible user experience and current language use. In nine times out of ten relevant cases, the term "sex tourism" rather than that of "prostitution tourism" is used. Therefore, you ask for understanding that an exchange of keywords is only possible if the language has changed.

Assessment :
  • Consistency of subject indexing, i.e. adhering to national standards, is maintained.
    See D 2.9; I 1.5
  • The understandable concerns of the complainants are not met.
  • The complainants will be disappointed and may inform the press.
Potential solution 2:You change the keywords in the local records. "Prostitution tourism" replaces "sex tourism". You communicate this to the complainants and thank them for the suggestion. At the same time, you contact the national bibliography with the request that "Prostitution tourism" be introduced as a keyword. However, this is unlikely to be successful because it is contrary to the argument of common usage in the choice of keywords.

Assessment :
  • Consistency of subject indexing, i.e. adhering to national standards, is abandoned by an individual decision.
  • If, as expected, the keyword is not changed in the national bibliography, a mismatch in the catalogue will arise because future titles on the subject, which are obtained as external data from the national bibliography, will have the keyword "sex tourism", since manual post-processing is not possible.
  • You have complied with the understandable concerns of the complainants.
Potential solution 3:
Potential solution 4:
References to values:
Values: Professional ethics in Germany:		D 2.9 Professionalism:
"We fulfil our professional duties according to professional criteria regardless of our personal opinion and attitude."

References to values:
Values: International professional ethics (IFLA):		I 1.5 User friendliness:
"Librarians and other information workers use the most effective ways to make the material accessible to all."

I 2.3 User friendliness:
"Librarians and other information workers organise and present content in a way that allows an autonomous user to find the information s/he needs."

Further values:Gender equality ; equality ; professional standards

References:Ahlheim, Dieter, Friedrich Geißelmann: Frauengerechte Sprache in der Schlagwortnormdatei? Bemerkungen zum Offenen Brief von Dagmar Jank in Bibliotheksdienst. 25, 1991, 9, pp. 1418-1421. In: Bibliotheksdienst. 25, 1991, 11, pp. 1805-1808.

Aleksander, Karin: Die Frau im Bibliothekskatalog. In: LIBREAS. Library Ideas. 25, 2014.

Metadata:
Title:Sex tourism
KeywordsDevelopment ; feminism ; misogyny; sexism; sex tourism; keywords
ClassificationDevelopment
Type of libraryAcademic library
Place:Germany
Type of activityDevelopment
References to values
Author:Hermann Rösch


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