The document discusses the ethical issues that arise when a parent comes to the library alone asking a librarian to complete homework research for their child. It outlines the perspectives of the student, parent, teacher and librarian on homework help. The document provides options for how a librarian could assist the parent and student at the reference desk in a way that supports learning rather than simply completing the assignment.

1. Student Library Research Ethics
Presentation
Presented by: Heidi Blanton, Tracie Etheridge,
Kathryn Loch, and Shannon Savitskie
Summer 2006 Wayne State University

2. The Issue
You are working a public reference desk
and a parent comes up to you with a
junior high school student’s school
assignment in hand. The assignment asks
the student to do library research and
write up the results. The parent is without
her child and requests that you do
everything on the research list so that she
may bring the research home to her child
How do you react to this request?

3. What is the Ethical Issue?
• Doing the student’s homework for them?
• Making homework decisions for them?
• Possibly aiding the parent in doing
homework for the student?
• Bypassing the teacher’s expectations of
“library research”?

4. Perspectives of the Issue
• Student Expectation
• The student wants to get work done as soon as possible
with as little effort as possible.
• He/she will accept as much help as possible.
• The main objective is to get the assignment done. The
student isn’t really concerned about the learning aspect.
• Parent Expectation
• The parent wants their child to get the best grade
possible.
• They expect any and everyone to help the child if
possible.
• The parent more than likely doesn’t have the time to give
the child in depth help.

5. Perspectives of the Issue (cont.)
• Teacher Expectation
• The teacher gives an assignment that will teach students
about research, writing, reading and comprehension.
• His/her primary expectation is to have the student learn.
• Librarian Expectation
• The librarian wants to provide student with as much help
as possible.
• The librarian wants to make sure the information is
obtained.
• Depending on the librarian, some will give the student the
basic information and encourage them to use it to find
the bulk of information on their own. Others will do the
majority of the project to ensure student gets what they
need of the assignment.

6. Parent comes alone to the reference desk
and the librarian chooses to assist
• What are your options?
• Locate all information for the parent to take
home with them for the student (print and
online)
• Is this doing too much and where do you
draw the line?
Source: Parents' Presence Poses No Problem. (1986). American
Libraries, 668.

7. Parent comes alone to the reference desk
and the librarian chooses to assist (cont.)
• What are your options?
• Locate the call numbers in the catalog and
instruct the parent to browse the stacks for
the student.
• Is this doing too little and are you really helping
the student or the parent?

8. Parent comes alone to the reference desk
and the librarian chooses to assist (cont.)
• What are your options?
• Instruct parent in use of online catalog and
databases, tell the parent that the student
can access a lot of the information at home
and on their own or with their help too.
Source: Broderick, D. (1982). Value laden barriers to information
dissemination. The Reference Librarian, 4(Summer), 19-23.

9. The parent comes to the reference
desk with the student
• The reference librarian provides short,
individual instruction (a mini-lesson) to the
student in how to conduct library
research
Source: Beck. S. E., & Turner, N. B. (2001). On the fly BI: Reaching and
teaching from the reference desk. The Reference Librarian, 72, 83-96.

10. The parent comes to the reference
desk with the student (cont)
• The Mini-Lesson:
• Begin by asking the student questions to
jump start critical thinking and problem
solving.
• Instruct the student in the use of the online
print catalog and databases
• Instruct the student in advanced Internet
searching beyond Web browsing
Source: Chen. S. L. (2003). Searching the online catalog and the World
Wide Web. Journal of Educational Media & Library Sciences, 41(1), 29-43

11. The parent comes to the reference
desk with the student (cont)
• The Mini-Lesson (cont.)
• Verbalize each step in the search as a strategy to
help student store the information in his/her memory
• Have student actually do the hands-on keyboarding
as you talk him/her through each process so that
he/she takes responsibility
• Provide the student with handouts and other
materials to take away and reference later
• Create quick organizers as you work with the student,
mapping out the steps as you go through the mini-lesson
• Create advance handouts to have on hand at the
reference desk, answering specific questions and/or helping
to organize research

12. Resources
• General Websites
• Ethics Updates
• http://ethics.acusd.edu/index.asp
• Complete Guide to Ethics Management: An Ethics Toolkit for
Managers
• http://www.managementhelp.org/ethics/ethxgde.htm
• Business Ethics: Managing Ethics in the Workplace and Social
Responsibility
• http://www.managementhelp.org/ethics/ethics.htm
• Professional Websites
• ALA Code of Ethics
• http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/codeofethics/codeethics.htm
• ACRL Standards and Guidelines
• http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/standardsguidelines.htm
• IFLA Professional Codes of Ethics/Conduct
• http://www.ifla.org.sg/faife/ethics/codes.htm

13. Resources (cont.)
• Books
• Donnarae MacCann ed. Social responsibility
in librarianship : essays on equality (1989)
Z716.4 .S631989
• Hauptman, Robert. (1988). Ethical challenges
in librarianship. Oryx Press. Z 682.35 .P75 H38
1988
• General Resources
• The Blackwell Guide to Ethical Theory
• Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics

14. Resources (cont.)
• Journal Articles
• Chelton, M.K. (2002). The “Problem Patron” public libraries
created. The Reference Librarian, 36, 23-32.
• Chelton, Mary K. (1997). Three in five public library users are
youth: Implications of survey results from the National Center for
Education Statistics, Public Libraries, 36(2), 104-109.
• Dewdney, P. and G. Michell. 1997. Asking ‘‘why’’ questions in
the reference interview: A theoretical justification. Library
Quarterly 67: 50-57.
• Gross, M. (1995) Imposed Query. RQ, 35(1), 236-243. Retrieved
July 26, 2006, from Extended Academic ASAP database.
• Lubans Jr., J. (1982). Teaching the user: ethical considerations.
The Reference Librarian, 4(Summer), 89-98.
• Philip, B (2001).Let's not keep the code a secret. PNLA Quarterly,
65 (3) Spring 2001, p.8-9.
• Smith, M. (2001). Information ethics. Advances in Librarianship,
25, 29-66.