Constituency

"The Library as an institution exists for the benefit of a given constituency, whether it be the citizens of a community, members of an educational institution, or some larger or more specialized group. Those who enter the library profession assume an obligation to maintain ethical standards of behaviour in relation to the governing authority under which they work, to the library constituency, to the library as an institution and to fellow workers on the staff, to other members of the library profession, and to society in general."
http://www.ifla.org/faife/ethics/lascode.htm

The above quotation from the introduction of the Library Association of Singapore (LAS) "Code of Ethics" is comprehensive, yet focused. By describing the professional responsibilities of librarians in relation to patrons, the profession, and the immediate and more broadly conceived community, the introduction acknowledges the role of ethical standards, and the relation of library professionals to those standards.

The LAS "Code of Ethics" establishes the parameters of professional obligation that librarians assume as members of a profession, based on the expectation that ethical standards define the role of librarians in regard to those they serve, colleagues, library resources and the community. "Community" encompasses the sponsoring agency, the local arena, a broadly-defined national culture, and a global awareness.

The LAS "Code of Ethics" clearly holds librarians socially acccountable for fulfilling a professionally-related trust that demands dedication to principles and identified best practices.

Collaboration in Information Sharing:
IFLA is a member of the Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP)
The GKP along with governments, business and civil society organizations, share their experience, ideas, issues and solutions to unleash the potential of ICTs to improve lives, reduce poverty and empower people helping to bridge many divides.

"It starts with lack of information, which is at the root and constitutes a most basic form of oppression (lack of awareness/consciousness-raising.)"

In my opinion, an equally troubling problem is a general lack of literacy, including the lack of fundamental reading comprehension skills, in such a large percentage of the population. For the most part, finding and understanding "information" requires the ability to read and to understand what is read.