This is our second update and wow has time flown!

At the Code of Conduct for Volunteers Working Group April 2024 meeting, we decided to review the codes of conduct the members had collated and created a comparative matrix of the various codes of conduct. The matrix itself was exhaustive, meaning that there was quite a bit in that matrix that we agreed would not or should not be in our code of conduct. The codes of conduct were then clustered thematically, though we were careful to not weight those clusters to reduce bias. It was clear when reviewing the final matrix that while there were several common elements within the codes themselves, many codes are quite short and oriented toward a particular type of volunteer.

During May, we then ran the codes of conduct through an AI programme which provided us with a 99-page analysis that brought together the key points raised in all the codes we compiled. We increased the cadence of our meeting schedule, so the working group met every two weeks through July. Additionally, we created a communication/work timeline that is guided by our deliverable’s timeline.

In July/August the working group focussed on writing the code of conduct you’ll be providing feedback soon. We created a framework that outlined what we want to see in IFLA’s code, each member of the Task Force took a key point and agreed to begin writing. We created a shared document to work from a single space and posted the IFLA Code of Ethics within the document to help frame some of our thinking.

As we began moving from bullet points and notes to more of a narrative form, we found that there was a lot of overlap and redundancy in our initial framework. This became clear as we began working through the in-document comments and notes and in our bi-weekly discussions. It was agreed that two members of the committee would take on the task of striving for a coherent narrative voice, would work on making sure all comments were addressed within the document sufficiently, and would clean it up in preparation of a second round within the committee before we present it to Chairs of Units for initial sense-checking and feedback in September. Chairs are encouraged to share with their units and collate their Unit’s feedback. So please, keep an eye on your email because your feedback is vital.

As always, watch this space!