Instrumental Values: Professional ethics in collaborative cultural work

文化组织的伦理和道德价值观最近一直是聚光灯下的焦点，例如，关于博物馆接受国际石油公司商业赞助的道德辩论，以及艺术和文化组织应对英国退欧等政治问题并做出贡献的道德责任。英国的博物馆和图书馆部门都有各自的专业机构--博物馆协会和特许图书情报专业人员协会--制定的道德准则。这两个守则都描述了每个部门特有的一套原则，包括对信息及其用户的责任；对收藏的管理；以及个人和机构的廉正。博物馆协会于2015年发布的修订后的道德准则被描述为与公众的“社会契约”。与此同时，通过与不同的组织和公共服务机构合作，在履行公共政策和跨政府议程方面发挥更综合、更积极的作用，整个文化部门的势头也在不断增强。博物馆和图书馆部门已经接受了这一点，许多合作项目的例子在与健康、福祉和其他社会指标相关的结果方面发挥了真正的作用。当一个部门与其他专业团体合作时，他们的道德价值观和行为准则会发生什么？这对他们共同的合作目标和成就有何影响？这些都是“工具价值”项目要解决的问题类型。这项研究将以在医疗保健环境中工作的博物馆和监狱图书馆服务为重点，创建两个关于跨部门实践社区及其共享的价值观、知识、做法和技能的案例研究。将与博物馆、图书馆和协作专业人员进行一系列深入访谈，探讨公共政策议程对协作专业学习的影响以及对相关部门的成果和影响。研究成果将通过各种知识交流活动和活动与参与的专业和研究团体分享，最终出版一本关于合作文化工作中的职业道德的书。

The ethical and moral values of cultural organisations have been in the spotlight recently, including for example public debates over the ethics of museums accepting commercial sponsorship from international oil companies whose own business practices have been morally scrutinised, and on the ethical responsibility of arts and cultural organisations to respond and contribute to political issues including Brexit. Museum and library sectors in England both have codes of ethics prescribed by their respective professional bodies the Museums Association and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. Both codes describe a set of principles that are particular to each sector, including responsibilities to information and its users; stewardship of collections; and individual and institutional integrity. The Museums Association's revised code of ethics published in 2015 was described as its "social contract" with the public. At the same time, there has been growing momentum across the cultural sector behind a more integrated, active role in fulfilling public policy and cross-government agendas by working in collaboration with different organisations and public services. This has been embraced by museum and library sectors, with many examples of collaborative projects making a real difference in terms of outcomes relating to health, wellbeing and other social indicators.What happens to the ethical values and codes of practice of one sector when they collaborate with other professional groups? How does this impact upon their shared collaborative objectives and achievements? These are the type of questions that will be addressed by the 'Instrumental Values' project. Focusing on museums working in health care settings and prison library services, the research will create two case studies on cross-sector communities of practice and their shared values, knowledge, practices and skills. A series of in-depth interviews will be undertaken with museum, library and collaborating professionals to explore the impact of public policy agendas on collaborative professional learning and the outcomes and implications for relevant sectors. Research findings will be shared throughout with participating professional and research communities via various knowledge exchange activities and events, culminating in a published book on professional ethics in collaborative cultural work.