A quick look at ethical issues that can face school librarians: diversity, intellectual property concerns and censorship/book banning.

1. Ethical Diversion
Copyright, Plagiarism, Censorship, and all!
LIB 600 Libraries and Education Spring 2015

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Are there ethical concerns in a
school library?
• Three main issues:
1. Diversity issues
2. Intellectual property
concerns
3. Selection of texts for
students
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3. COMPETITION
AHEAD
Diversity issues

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What do we mean by diversity?
• National Education Association:
– Diversity can be defined as the sum
of the ways that people are both alike
and different. The dimensions of
diversity include race, ethnicity,
gender, sexual orientation, language,
culture, religion, mental and physical
ability, class, and immigration status.
• Diversity Toolkit Introduction
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The unique role
• Only in the school library:
– “The school library has a unique role in the
integration of cultural differences within the
school community. Because library services are
essential to all segments of the school
population and school activities, the librarian
holds a strategic position as an integrator,
coordinator, negotiator, unifier, and equalizer.”
Librarians can help teachers locate books and
other resources for their own professional
developmental [needs], help select student
materials, and help establish relationships with
community agencies.
• Critical Issue: Meeting the Diverse Needs of Young
Children. Quote from Dame, M.A. (1995, November).
Serving linguistically and culturally diverse students:
Strategies for the school librarian. ERIC Digest [Online].
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School librarians
as leaders in
diversity issues
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http://www.librarymediaconnection.com/pdf/lmc/
reviews_and_articles/featured_articles/Summers
_March_April2010.pdf

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Intellectual
Property?
• What is Intellectual Property?
– Intellectual property (IP) refers to
creations of the mind, such as
inventions; literary and artistic
works; designs; and symbols, names
and images used in commerce.
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What is Copyright exactly?
http://www.copyright.gov/
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http://copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html#what

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Another explanation
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http://www.teachingcopyright.org/handout/copyright-faq

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http://theedublogger.com/2012/02/09/the-educators-guide-to-copyright-fair-use-and-creative-commons/

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http://teams.lacoe.edu/documentation/classrooms/gayle/fairuse/fairuse.html

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How to Talk to Your Students About
Copyright
• Harry Potter Can Fly
– H = Homegrown
• i.e. something you created yourself
– P = Public Domain
• Public domain works are shared by everyone.
– C = Creative Commons
• Creative Commons licensed-media are shared “up
front” by copyright holders for sharing and re-use
under certain terms. This means “permission has
already been granted” for you to use these media
materials in your own projects, as long as you
comply with the stated Creative Commons terms.
– F = Fair Use
• The short video chapter on “Fair Use” (1 min, 50
sec) included in Professor Eric Faden of Bucknell
University’s video “A Fair(y) Use Tale” illustrates
key concepts of fair use in U.S. copyright law
exclusively using short clips from copyrighted
Disney movies.
– By Wesley Fryer On July 14, 2011
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What about Plagiarism, then?
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http://www.plagiarism.org/plagiarism-101/what-is-plagiarism

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Home » Student Resources » Research guide »
What is plagiarism?

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7 Resources for Detecting and
Preventing Plagiarism
1. Do a quick search on Google [place
the offending phrase in quotes!]
2. Plagiarism Checker
3. Doc Cop
4. Purdue OWL website
5. Paper Rater
6. Plagiarism Checker.com
7. Plagiarism.org
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Detour on eBooks
• Purchase or Lease?
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18. Concerns about Selection

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Censorship?
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/censor
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AKA Book Banning
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http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/about

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Challenged books?
• What is the difference between a challenge
or banning?
– A challenge is an attempt to remove or
restrict materials, based upon the objections
of a person or group. A banning is the
removal of those materials. Challenges do
not simply involve a person expressing a
point of view; rather, they are an attempt to
remove material from the curriculum or
library, thereby restricting the access of
others.
•
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Types of Challenge
http://www.ala.org/bbooks/challengedmaterials
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23. HAZARDOUS
ROAD
AHEAD