Comp A | Ethics & Values
Demonstrate awareness of the ethics, values, and
foundational principles of one of the information professions,
and discuss the importance of those principles within that profession
Section A | Definition of Competency
Open data advocacy is one of the various information professional roles practiced during this MLIS study through civic partnerships of almost 6 years (2016 to present). Open data is the access, use and sharing of data in the open government context this involves opening disaggregated government data for the intent of public good. This type of information is designed to improve government services, trust and accountability, and civic engagement on current issues. In relation to the library profession, there is a similar principal within the American Library Association (ALA) professional ethics:
We affirm the inherent dignity and rights of every person. We work to recognize and dismantle systemic and individual biases; to confront inequity and oppression; to enhance diversity and inclusion; and to advance racial and social justice in our libraries, communities, profession, and associations through awareness, advocacy, education, collaboration, services, and allocation of resources and spaces. (ALA, 2021)
Section B | Background to the Competency
By examining evidence on two specific open data advocacy roles with ODI Toronto and MSF Canada a connection is bridged between ALA professional ethics on the subjects of equity, inclusion and social justice and the application of open data civic engagement work.
Section C | Discussion of Evidence
One engagement is as an Associate with the Open Data Institute (ODI) Toronto Node which “supports the use of open data in public policy, civic tech, civic education, and political engagement” (ODI Toronto, 2017). Similar to the ALA principle, the civic tech and civic education components are community driven efforts to resolve current civic issues through use tech or other means as well as building civic literacy. Engagements include, organizing and participating in a closing discussion at GO Open Data 2019 Conference, which includes mostly Ontario based leaders on open government and open data. The 2019 theme was inclusive, equitable, ethical and impactful creation and use of open data and this event serves as Evidence 1 in relation to the principle of open data ethics and ALA principle on diversity and inclusion. As a speaker on the Closing Panel Action panel at the start mentioning the importance of inclusion in both consultation and decision making. Also, on the topic of opening data with purpose and assuring ethical standards, I raise the importance of intent with “what is [the] intent? what is [the] final goal?” (GOOD, 2019, 25:40) in the use of the data. This question guides the reasons for access but also the governance of information to assure it is there to help and not hinder public good.
Evidence 1
GO Open Data Conference. (2019, May 3). Closing Panel Discussion [Video]. Periscope.
https://www.pscp.tv/G00DLivestream001/1rmGPewWMEmJN
Another 2021 current effort of advocating for inclusion, social justice and awareness is Evidence 2.1 as a Civil Member with Multi-Stakeholder Forum (MSF) on Open Government for Canada which “supports ongoing dialogue between government and Canadian civil society on open government” (Open Canada, 2021). Open Government relates to civic engagement on transparency and accountability of government, and the civil member biography includes commitment “to engage and support the national open government movement by offering accessible, sustainable and responsive guidance as a civil society member” (Open, 2021). This commitment to offering and supporting responsive, sustainable, and accessible recommendations relates back to ALA principles on allocation of resources as well as current racial and social justice concerns.
Through an active role in serving as Champion for Climate Change and Sustainable Growth dialogue serves as Evidence 2.2 “the civil society lead for this top for Canada’s 5th National Action Plan for [Open Canada]” (Davidson, 2021). This Tweet was from civil society co-champion, Rob Davidson and the recommendations from the main consultation which included data to support the redress of environmental racism and climate change through the disability lens. Although, these types of consultations may not always result in the implementation of recommendations, it is important to realize advocacy is a long term commitment to be applied in many efforts of our lives.
Evidence 2.1
Open Canada. (2021, August). Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Open Government. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. Retrieved from https://open.canada.ca/en/multi-stakeholder-forum-open-government
Evidence 2.2
Davidson, R. [@ThatRobDavidson]. (2021, July 19). Thank you @KejoBuchanan taking the civil society lead on this topic for Canada's 5th National Action Plan for the @opengovpart! [Tweet]. Twitter. Retrieved October, 10, 2021, https://twitter.com/ThatRobDavidson/status/1417105525045669898
The completion of INFO 200 Information Communities and INFO 204 Information Professions includes competency A through exploration of ALA principles in course lectures and assignments. However, recently through INFO 284 Oral History, there is continued evidence of placing emphasis on “dismantling systemic…biases” (ALA, 2021) through the final Fold Recovery Project Proposal, Evidence 3. Folk Recovery is an oral history project proposal to “highlight and celebrate the importance of Black, Indigenous, Asian and all People in Colour (BIPOC) through their contributions to the Canadian folk sound… and their stories of return to a genre often historically underrepresenting their contributions” (Buchanan, 2021). Storytelling and archiving through representation are forms of dismantling bias.
Evidence 3
Buchanan, K. (2021, August 10). Folk Recovery. PDF https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CuM6cNMUxQcsGM7FSDcaOq73hra16FtZ/view?usp=sharing
Section D | Conclusion
These projects, discussions and events demonstrate awareness of the ethics, values, and foundational principles of the information profession through advocacy on open data and oral history, and demonstrate the importance of those principles within the profession of knowledge sharing.
Section E | References
ALA. (2021). Professional Ethics. Retrieved from https://www.ala.org/tools/ethics
Buchanan, K. (2021, August 10). Folk Recovery. Info Prose. Retrieved from https://ischoolblogs.sjsu.edu/info/kejobuchanan/folk_recovery/
Davidson, R. [@ThatRobDavidson]. (2021, July 19). Thank you @KejoBuchanan taking the civil society lead on this topic for Canada's 5th National Action
Plan for the @opengovpart! [Tweet]. Twitter. Retrieved October, 10, 2021, https://twitter.com/ThatRobDavidson/status/1417105525045669898
GO Open Data Conference. (2019, May 3). Closing Panel Discussion [Video]. Periscope. https://www.pscp.tv/G00DLivestream001/1rmGPewWMEmJN
ODI Toronto. (2017). About ODI Toronto. Retrieved from http://toronto.theodi.org/about-odi-nodes/
Open Canada. (2021, August). Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Open Government. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. Retrieved from https://open.canada.ca/en/multi-stakeholder-forum-open-government