Re: ethics v. legality

From: Janet Stevenson, O:ABB, OU1:USAPC, P:ABB, A:ATTMAIL, C:US (janet.stevenson@USAPC.mail.abb.com)
Date: Wed Aug 30 1995 - 11:30:46 PDT


Antje <Antje.Mays@Citadel.edu> wrote:

>Last I heard, the library is
>now polarised -- one school of thought is that it is inappropriate
>to purchase
>things from the shop owned by one's employees.....

>Folks, _I_ side with the f i r s t camp. But it seems that such >ethics
is unwritten, that no specific laws govern such transaction >scenarios.
>
>Now, my advice to the purchasing department head is to say to hexx with it and
>go work in a sane environment where standards & guidelines are clear-cut. But
>I feel shallow in knowing nothing tangible regarding the actual legality or
>illegitimacy of such transactions.
>>What does the wisdom of law-lib say?

The more important question here is whether you want to get involved in
a feud, which your posting seems to suggest by the use of the word
"polarized".

My advice is: stay out of either camp. I've personally
worked in a public library where people spent most of their time wrangling
about stuff that could not be changed and for which they were not responsible.
It was a most unhappy place to work.
  
Let the director or whoever is reponsible worry about this...that's what
they are being paid to do.

Why get involved in a feud that potentially could hurt you later?
Consider the consequences if someone in the *second*
camp suddenly becomes your boss!

Strong advice for us busybody librarians, but an option worth considering.

Janet Stevenson
ABB Environmental
Birmingham, Alabama



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