The librarian's duty of care: Emerging professionalism or can of worms?

The issue of whether librarians and related information workers can and should be held accountable for negligent misinformation is explored here. The article examines case studies that highlight the issue of accountability, discusses accountability, and relates it to concepts such as responsibility and duty of care. It also discusses the customary arguments against holding librarians accountable for misinformation, namely, the lack of contract between librarian and patron and the distinction generally drawn between information "intermediaries," such as librarians, and "knowledge workers," such as lawyers and accountants. One of the conclusions is that the ethical approach taken by the profession has undergone a shift in recent years, partly as a result of certain legal decisions and partly as a result of changes in the profession, for example, the need for Librarians to formulate online searches on behalf of clients and interpret search results. Existing codes of ethics and whether they are appropriate to associations that claim professional status are also discussed.