Approved by the Library Negotiations Committee – February 3, 1998
Approved by the Board of Governors – March 27, 2002
DISCLAIMER: If there is a discrepancy between this electronic policy and the written copy held by the Policy owner, the written copy prevails.
- Each librarian is expected to fulfill the duties in his or her position accountability statement in an effective and conscientious manner.
- Librarians engaged in teaching are governed by section 1(a) of the Code of Conduct for Faculty (December 8, 1994).
- Librarians engaged in research or other forms of scholarship will make the results of such work accessible to their peers in the scholarly community, and, where appropriate, to the general public, through publications, lectures, and other means.
- Librarians are responsible for participating in the life of the Library and the University. A librarian will normally do so through participation in committees and task forces of the Library and University, and/or by accepting a fair and reasonable share of the administrative responsibilities in the Library or the University.
- Each librarian is responsible for conducting herself or himself in a professional and ethical manner towards colleagues, students, Library users, and other members of the University community. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, librarians at McMaster University:
- will not infringe the academic freedom of their colleagues;
- will not discriminate against any member of the University community on grounds prohibited by the Human Rights Code;
- will observe appropriate principles of confidentiality, particularly with respect to the disclosure of information regarding Library users, or information that is acquired through the exercise of management or supervisory responsibilities;
- will, in any published work, whenever it is appropriate, indicate publicly the assistance of colleagues or students;
- will disclose conflicts of interest or other circumstances which may reasonably introduce, or appear to introduce bias into any academic or administrative decision to which they may be party; and
- will observe all of the published rules and policies of the Library, the University and its legislative bodies.
- Librarians shall be governed by the code of ethics published by the Canadian Library Association (1976). Librarians working in the Health Sciences Library shall also be governed by the code of ethics published by the Medical Library Association (1994).
Approved by the Library Negotiations Committee – February 3, 1998
Approved by the Board of Governors – March 27, 2002