Daily, a librarian makes judgements that are based on professional and ethical considerations. Ethical positions can be regarded as extensions of the professional responsibility that falls to a corps of professionals through those professionals’ practising of their profession - a responsibility both to the general public/library users and to the profession itself. The librarians of the DIK, who are organised in the sub-association BF (The Librarians’ Association), maintain an ongoing discussion of professionalism, their professional role and their professional ethics. They have devised the following professional-ethics guidelines.

Professional-ethics guidelines for librarians

1. Using as points of departure the individual library’s goals and its users’ needs, the librarian shall strive to make the services of the library versatile, high-quality and readily accessible.
   
2. The librarian shall safeguard democratic values.
   
3. The librarian shall treat library users with respect and good judgement: impartially and equally. The individual’s right to privacy shall be safeguarded, both as regards personal situation and information acquired and as regards materials borrowed.
   
4. The librarian shall strive to provide access to users’ collective heritage and to information, regardless of medium.
   
5. The librarian’s role shall be performed with clarity, and the librarian’s professional skills shall be maintained and continually enhanced.
   
6. The librarian shall show respect for other professions’ ethical rules and professional skills.
   
7. The librarian shall strive impartially to achieve the goals of that librarian’s facility.

The DIK: the librarians’ union

The DIK is Sweden’s librarians’ union. It is part of the Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations (SACO). The DIK’s constituent associations promote and safeguard the interests of various professional groups. Librarians are organised in The Librarians’ Association (BF).

Virtually all of Sweden’s librarians’ being members of the BF gives the DIK strength in its negotiations, and the Association’s views carry great weight in major decisions concerning education and other professional matters.

Even while still studying, future librarians may join the BF.