E-Books and Ethical Dilemmas for the Academic Reference Librarian |
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Authors: | Thomas L. Reinsfelder |
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Affiliation: | Penn State Mont Alto, Mont Alto, PA |
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Abstract: | When dealing with e-books, several ethical dilemmas exist as a result of competing professional values. Dilemmas identified and discussed here include challenges related to serving nonaffiliated users, providing high-quality service while respecting intellectual property rights, and balancing the needs of current users with the needs of future generations. Readers would like to have access to all e-books all of the time, with as few restrictions as possible. Librarians would like all of their users (affiliated or nonaffiliated, current or future) to be able to easily use e-books. Librarians also want to recognize the valuable contributions of authors, publishers, and content distributors while safeguarding patron privacy. |
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Keywords: | electronic books ethics privacy nonaffiliated users reference |
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