Scoping the CILIP Ethics Review Nick Poole, Chief Executive, CILIP March 2017

Business Case CILIP’s Action Plan 2016-2020 notes that the library and information profession is changing very significantly in response both to digital disruption and wider trends. As a result, information professionals are increasingly part of an embedded workforce working across the public, private and 3rd sector. This recognition has prompted the need to review: How professional ethics is currently operating in the library and information profession The level of awareness of professional ethics amongst information professionals The extent to which CILIP’s Ethical Principles reflect the wider range of professional contexts The extent to which ethics play an active and positive role in sector development The interaction between the professional ethics of individuals and institutional ethics

Outcomes As a result of the Ethics Review, we want to see the following outcomes: Increased awareness of and engagement with the CILIP Ethical Principles by librarians and information professionals*; Increased relevance and applicability of the Ethical Principles across a range of sectors (public, private and 3rd Sector and Government); Clarity on the role of CILIP as the steward of the Ethical Principles on behalf of the profession * As part of the CILIP Equalities and Diversity Action Plan, we also propose to undertake an Equalities Impact Assessment to identify potential issues of exclusion from this work and define actions to overcome them.

Outputs As outputs of the Ethics Review, we will produce: A ‘brand identity’ for Ethics at CILIP, building on the core CILIP brand; A central ‘hub’ on the CILIP website providing access to information and resources about the review; A sector-wide engagement and consultation campaign to be run June – December 2017; A ‘landscape report’ detailing the findings of the sector consultation; An updated set of Ethical Principles; An ongoing programme to promote and develop Ethics at CILIP; An agreed statement of CILIP’s ongoing role in relation to the Ethical Principles

Scope Ethical Principles Awareness Use Content Alignment Expectations

Scope Ethical Principles Awareness Use Content Alignment Expectations How aware are library & information professionals of professional ethics in general and the CILIP Ethical Principles in particular?

What is the role of ethics/the Ethical Principles in daily practice – do people use them? How are they used? Scope Ethical Principles Awareness Use Content Alignment Expectations

Scope What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current Ethical Principles? What’s missing? What needs to change? Ethical Principles Awareness Use Content Alignment Expectations

Scope What is the alignment between personal, professional & institutional ethics? How do the Ethical Principles align to other ethical frameworks & regulations? Ethical Principles Awareness Use Content Alignment Expectations

Scope Ethical Principles Awareness Use Content Alignment Expectations What are peoples expectations of the outcome of the Ethics Review? What do they expect/want to see as a result?

Methodology Our methodology is intended to deliver a combination of awareness-raising, engagement, reach, breadth and depth. We will combine: A ‘big conversation’ across the CILIP network CILIP-led Ethics Round-tables A central (online) survey Promotion and engagement campaign

‘Big conversation’ A programme of formal and informal events and conversations run by the CILIP Regional Member networks and Special Interest Groups, focused on four open-ended ‘big questions’ about Ethics in the profession: How aware are you of the CILIP Ethical Principles? Do you use them in your work? If so, how? What do you think of the Ethical Principles? What works and what doesn’t? What would you like to see as an outcome of the Ethics Review? Each Member Network would be invited to hold at least one of these conversations during the consultation period. Participants would be sent a link to the Ethical Principles and asked to read them in advance. After the conversation a facilitator would be invited to send in the resulting answers to these four question.

CILIP-led Ethics Round-tables A programme of facilitated Ethics Round-tables, led and supported by CILIP staff and affiliates in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 1 x Ethics Breakfast at the CILIP Conference 4-6 x Ethics Round-tables to be added to existing Member Network events 3 x Ethics Round-tables to be run in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Participants would be invited to refresh their knowledge of the Ethical Principles prior to the round-table. Round-table sessions would focus on: Awareness, use of and engagement with the Ethical Principles A review and discussion of each of the 12 Principles A discussion about outcomes and expectations from the Review

Online survey An online SurveyMonkey Survey designed to capture attitudes and expectations, to be run online through 2017, featuring the following sections: “Who are you” – sector, demographic, other information to support segmentation and analysis; Each of the 12 statements in the Ethical Principles, alongside a ‘standard’ set of questions: Do you agree/disagree with this principle and why? What needs to change/be improved? Questions relating to prior awareness of the Ethical Principles Questions relating to the use of the Ethical Principles Open-ended questions to capture expectations from the Review

Promotion and engagement campaign An ongoing programme throughout 2017 to engage CILIP members and the wider information and library profession with professional ethics, encourage them to review the Ethical Principles and share their ideas. Possible activities would include: Clear brand identity for the ‘CILIP Ethics Review’ Content in Update and on the CILIP website/social media Ongoing hashtag campaign on #CILIPEthics Possible online chat in partnership with @UKLibchat Webinar(s) – acting as a ‘virtual Ethics Round-table’

Recommendations The Ethics Committee are invited to review this paper and: Comment on the overall suitability of the proposed programme to the Review; Provide any recommendations for changes, amendments or additions to the proposed methodology, outcomes or outputs; Recommend that the Ethics Review as defined in the PID and this Scope document (subject to amendments made at the meeting); Mandate the CILIP staff to update the CILIP Board on this outcome.