This content reflects work done as part of the Indigenous Perspectives in School Librarianship (IPSL) grant funded by IMLS (RE-246303-OLS-20). Actual assignments may vary.

Module Objectives

  • Identify differences between teacher and librarian codes of ethics.
  • Identify an ethical question that a school librarian may face.

Think

Create

Look at the teacher / educator code of ethics for your state (or the NEA Code of Ethics if your state does not have its own) AND consider the values of the Alaska Native / American Indian tribes in your region. Are there conflicts between any of these sets of guidelines?

Share

Part I: In the #module1 discussion channel, address the following, then respond to at least two of your classmates:

  • Did you see a conflict between the ALA Code of Ethics and your state’s (or the NEA’s) code of ethics? Were there conflicts between the educator codes of ethics and the cultural values of the tribal group(s) in your region? If there was a conflict, what guideline should take precedence and why? How would you resolve the area of conflict?
  • Consider the predominate ethnic cultures in your library (e.g., Yup’ik, Dakota, African American, Thai). What would you say are the cultural archetypes operating among your students? What cultural practices do you see enacted? How might these conflict with the library or educator codes of ethics? How might you resolve those areas of conflict?

Part II: Introduce yourself in the #intro discussion channel:

  • Tell us about yourself and your teaching / library background
  • Share one way that you already advocate for the library
  • Share one ethical question you have encountered / considered. Common ethical issues may be related to access, the library collection, privacy, or copyright.

Grow

Write a reflection on the module. Use the following questions as inspiration. What did you learn this week? What made you wonder? How do you feel about the module’s content and process? How will what you learned this week make you a better librarian? How do you feel about your progress in the course? What questions do you have?