Information Ethics: Issues and Challenges For Librarians in Nigeria A Case Study of Ekiti State University

Abstract

Generally, librarians should not shy away from ethical issues. Library professionals must have a good working knowledge of information ethics. Codes of professional ethics can help to provide such knowledge, information ethics must be part of the education of information professionals which should provide library professionals with an understanding of ethical theories and practices and how they apply to create practical solutions. It is in the light of the above that this research work focuses on information ethics: issues and challenges for librarians in Ekiti State University. The study highlighted the works of several scholars and covered such areas as the concept of information ethics, information technology, codes of ethics, universal services and access to information, intellectual property, and information privacy among other concepts. The work adopted a survey research method and utilized questionnaire to generate data, out of the twenty four (24) copies of questionnaire distributed, twenty (83.33%) were returned with valid responses. Findings revealed that it is important for library professionals to have an understanding of information ethics because it has a direct impact on their ability to carry out their professional obligations.