The Ethicist and Librarians
March 15, 2009
Recently, The Ethicist column in the New York Times Magazine tackled a question from a librarian:
It’s a fairly common question among librarians–do you agree with Randy Cohen’s (and the NYPL’s) response? (CJ)
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1.
Carol | March 16, 2009 at 12:33 pm
It sounded reasonable. The patron may still take issue with you “butting into his/her business”.
2.
LG | March 29, 2009 at 3:42 pm
I used to volunteer at a public library, helping out with the computer instruction classes. During the more internet-oriented classes, we spent time discussing internet safety issues, including scams, spam, viruses, etc.
In a one-on-one situation with a patron, such as is described in this column, I think it would be unethical to not try to let the patron know that he or she is likely being scammed. This could be done as a sort of on-the-fly internet safety discussion, maybe noting for the patron the possible signs of a scam in that particular instance, depending on how he or she reacts when the librarian first brings the issue up.
That’s the key, I think – one would have to “test the waters” first, and see how willing the patron is to go further. Some people define privacy issues differently than others, and some people are more sensitive about their privacy.
3.
Mary M | April 2, 2009 at 12:48 pm
I have encountered a similar situation; a patron was talking about receiving an e-mail that purported to be giving them a cash prize, but they needed to “verify” some information. I think this patron was already suspicious, and so talking about internet fraud and scams was a bit easier, and certainly appropriate. I think you would definitely need to find a tactful and professional way to bring up the issue if you suspect that the person might be vicimized in some way; the key is finding a way to do it without seeming invasive or pushy, or turning them off. That IS the hard part!