Chapter 8: Ethical Standards in the Management of the Electronic Library: Academic Library Perspective

As increased focus in the information society is now towards the intellectual debate on information ethics, there is increased attention to professional ethics due to the rapid growth of contemporary technologies that have altered the way library and information science (LIS) professionals manage information. The information society has provided university libraries with new technologies to connect with their clients, eliminating the need to limit what they offer. However, it has also raised many unanswered ethical questions in the management of the electronic library. Ethical issues of information access, user privacy, intellectual property, and information accuracy are significant concerns for libraries in today’s networked environment. The explosion of technology and the subsequent emergence of electronic libraries have brought information ethics to the forefront of ethical considerations. However, little empirical research on information ethics and the level of adoption among LIS professionals was available, particularly from an African perspective. The study was conducted to determine the adoption of information ethics standards by LIS professionals in managing electronic libraries. The study adopted the deontological ethics theoretical framework and the Privacy, Accuracy, Property, Access (PAPA) information ethics framework. The study used a mixed-methods research approach and a sequential explanatory research design. The study population consisted of LIS professionals serving in Zimbabwean university libraries. The findings revealed a general lack of awareness and adoption of information ethics by LIS professionals. This has highlighted the need to raise awareness among LIS professionals about information ethics through advocacy, awareness, and staff development, in addition to advocating for a localised code of ethical framework.