A Historical Look at the ALA Code of Ethics

This thesis traces the history of the American Library Association to determine why more than sixty years elapsed between the founding of this organization and its adoption of an ethical code. The current code was examined to determine its relevancy for today's librarian. Examination of events which led to the 1876 Conference and of the personalities which dominated the organization in the early days affords a basis of comparison with emerging changes in goals and leadership beginning in the 1920s. This study concludes that the early members of ALA held assumptions about their role as librarians which reflected high ethical standards and a missionary zeal to educate. These assumptions were replaced by the service orientation of public librarians, which dominated the Association in the twentieth century. The code, then, appears to represent the views of the public librarians, and it is not relevant for the needs of all librarians.