IFLA and Professional Ethics (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions‪)‬

SOME THOUGHTFUL INDIVIDUALS HAVE RECOGNISED A NEED TO GO BEYOND the traditional ethical concerns of professions. This paper explores some of the ethical dimensions of modern librarianship by considering the establishment of the Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) initiative by IFLA. It acknowledges that the extension of traditionally accepted professional boundaries will have significant consequences for the profession. The high regard in which Australian librarianship is held internationally owes much to the work of such leaders as Margaret Trask. Her profound influence on libraries and librarianship through her teaching, consultancy and advice contributed to the development of a profession which is admired for its technical proficiency and sound foundation on principles. It is a client-centred profession which places significant ethical expectations on its members. Those expectations underpin commitments to service to individual clients and to communities and frame practice. However, until recently, they have tended to be seen in accepted professional ethical frameworks and largely in organisationally based terms. Both IFLA and ALIA have now extended the boundaries so as to embrace wider societal considerations including the fundamental human right to know. This process has extended the traditionally accepted boundaries of professional expectations of librarians both locally and internationally.