Professional Codes of Ethics for Librarians

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Background

Librarians all over the world are well aware of their profession's ethical implications. In more than 60 countries library associations have developed and approved a national code of ethics for librarians. But a similar document on an international level adopted by IFLA didn't exist until 2012.

During 2010 and 2012 a working group from FAIFE drafted and consulted extensively on a draft international code of ethics for librarians and other information workers. Hundreds of comments from IFLA Members and Non-Members were received to the draft, and a final version was prepared for the endorsement by the IFLA Governing Board. The "IFLA Code of Ethics for Librarians and Other Information Workers" was approved endorsed in August 2012.

IFLA Code of Ethics for Librarians and other Information Workers

The Code is presented in two versions: a long, comprehensive version, and a shorter version for quick reference.

English: IFLA Code of Ethics [full version] | [short version]

The IFLA Code of Ethics has been translated into different languages in order to make it available in as many parts of the world as possible.

Note: The working group consisting of 5 members from 5 countries who are members or former members of the FAIFE committee : Loida Garcia-Febo, Anne Hustad, Hermann Rosch, Paul Sturges and Amelie Vallotton.

Professional Code of Ethics Map

National Codes of Ethics for Librarians by countries

FAIFE has collected more than 60 codes of ethics for librarians from around the world. These guidelines customarily are adopted by national library or librarians associations or in some cases implemented by government agencies. The collection will be completed and updated successively

Armenia [Armenian Library Association]
Professional code of behaviour of the Armenian Librarian
Australia  [The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA]
Statement on Professional Ethics
Belgium  [Flanders]  [Vlaamse Vereniging voor Bibliotheek, Archief en Documentatie (VVBAD)]
Professional code for information professionals in libraries and documentation centers
Botswana [Botswana Library Association]
Code of Ethics
Brasil [Conselho Federal de Biblioteconomia] [Portuguese]
Code of Ethics
Bulgaria  [Bulgarian Library and Information Association]
Code of Ethics
Canada  [The Canadian Library Association (CLA]
Code of Ethics
Chile  [Colegio de Bibliotecarios de Chile A.G.]  [Spanish]
Código de Ética Profesional
China  [Library Society of China]
Code of Ethics
China  [Hongkong]  [The Hong Kong Library Association]
Code of Ethics
Costa Rica [Colegio de Bibliotecarios de Costa Rica]  [Spanish]
Code of Ethics
Croatia  [The Croatian Library Association]
Code of Ethics
Cuba [Asociación Cubana de Bibliotecarios]  [Spanish]
Code of Ethics
Czech Republic  [Association of Library and Information Professionals of the Czech Republic]
Code of Ethics
El Salvador [Asociación de Bibliotecarios de El Salvador]  [Spanish]
Code of Ethics
Estonia  [Estonian Librarians Association, ELA]
Code of Ethics of the librarians and information specialists of Estonia
Finland  [Finnish Library Association]
Ethical Principles of Library Work
France  [Association des Bibliothécaires Français]
The Librarians' Code of Ethics
Germany [BID - Bibliothek und Information Deutschland]
Ethics and Information Ethical principles of the library and information professionals
Hungary  [Board of the Association of Hungarian Librarians and the Board of the Federation of Libraries and Information Centres]
Code of ethics of Hungarian librarians
Iceland [Upplýsing - Félag bókasafns - og upplýsingfraeda]
Code of Ethics
Indonesia  [The Association of Indonesian Librarians / Ikatan Pustakawan Indonesia (IPI)]
Code of Ethics for Librarians
Ireland [Library Association of Ireland (LAI)]
Code of Ethics
Israel  [The Israeli Center for Libraries]
Code of Ethics of the Librarians in Israel
Italy  [The Italian Library Association (AIB)]
Librarians’ code of ethics: fundamental principles
Jamaica  [The Jamaica Library Association]
Code of Ethics
Japan  [The Japan Library Association]
Code of Ethics for Librarians
Korea  [The Korean Library Association (KLA)]
Code of Ethics for Librarians
Latvia [Latvian Librarians Associationa (LLA)]
Code of Ethics of Librarians in Latvia (English translation also available)
Lithuania   [The Lithuanian Librarians' Association (LLA)]
Code of Ethics of Lithuanian Librarians
Luxembourg [The Librarians´ Association of Luxembourg]
National Code of Ethics of ALBAD
Malaysia   [Persatuan Pustakawan Malaysia (Librarians Association of Malaysia)]
Code of Ethics
Malta [Malta Library and Insformation Association (MALIA)]
Code of Ethics for Library and Information Professionals
Mauritius [Mauritius Council of Registered Librarians (MCRL)]
Code of Ethics
Mexico   [El Colegio Nacional de Bibliotecarios (CNB)]
Code of Professional Ethics
The Netherlands   [Public Library Section of the Netherlands Association of librarians]
Professional Charter for Librarians in Public Libraries
New Zealand   [The Library & Information Association New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA)]
Code of Professional Conduct
Nicaragua [Asociación Nicaragüense de Bibliotecarios y Profesionales Afines] [Spanish]
Code of Professional Ethics
Nigeria [Librarians' Registration Council of Nigeria]
Code of Ethics
Panama [Asociación Panameña de Bibliotecarios] [Spanish]
Code of Ethics
Peru [Colegio de Bibliotecólogos del Perú]  [Spanish]
Code of Ethics
Philippines   [The Professional Regulation Commission of the Republic of the Philippines]
Code of Ethics for Registered Librarians
Poland   [The Polish Librarians Association]
Code of Ethics for Librarians and Information Professionals
Portugal   [Portuguese Association of Librarians, Archivists and Documentalists (BAD), Portuguese Association for the Development of Scientific and Technical Information (INCITE), Portuguese Association of Health Documentation (APDIS)]
Code of Ethics for Information Professionals in Portugal
Puerto Rico [Sociedad de Bibliotecarios de Puerto Rico]  [Spanish]
Code of Ethics
Russian Federation   [Russian Library Association]
Russian Librarian's Professional Ethics Code
Serbia   [Serbian Library Association]
Code of Ethics
Singapore   [The Library Association of Singapore (LAS)]
Code of Ethics
Slovenia [The Slovenian Library Association]
Code of Ethics
South Africa [Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA)]
Code of Ethics
Spain [Spanish Federation of Societies of Archivist, Librarians, Documentalist and Museology (FESABID)]
Code of Ethics
Spain [Catalunya] [Collegi Oficial de Bibliotecaris - Documentalistes de Catalunya]
Code of Ethics
Sri Lanka [The Sri Lanka Library Association (SLLA)]
Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics
Sweden  [The Librarians' Association (BF)]
Professionalism and Professional Ethics
Switzerland  [The Association of Swiss Librarians and Libraries (BBS)]
Ethikkodex des bis  [German]
Code d´éthique  [French]
Thailand [The Thai Library Association]
Code of Ethics 
Turkey [The Turkish Librarian´s Association (TKD) Professional Ethics Principles]
Code of Ethics
Ukraine [The Ukranian Library Association]
Code of Ethics of a Librarian
United Kingdom  [CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information]
Code of Professional Conduct
Uruguay [Asociación de Bibliotecólogos del Uruguay] [Spanish]
Code of Ethics
USA [The American Library Association (ALA)]
Code of Ethics
Venezuela [Colegio de Bibliotecólogos y Archivólogos de Venezuela (CBAV)] [Spanish]
Code of Ethics

Indigenous peoples

Protocols concerning ethical issues in the handling of information and a range of library/information/archives issues relating to Indigenous peoples:
The Protocols for Native American Archival Materials
Original Australian protocol, 1995: The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols for Libraries, Archives, and Information Services

FAIFE (Committee on Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of Expression), Access to information, Access to knowledge, Library and information profession, Library and information science education, Management

Última actualización: 3 Febrero 2021