Drawing up the Deontological code of the Official College of Librarians-documentalists of Catalonia

The guidelines and procedure involved in drawing up the Deontological code of the Official College of Librarians-documentalists of Catalonia are described. The commission that drafted the code chose an educational code as the model, covering standard questions and incorporating intrinsic values of the profession. The authors explain what is meant by the terms Ethics and Deontology and proceed to comment on the generic declarations issued by UNESCO and IFLA concerning rights related to the profession as well as on deontological codes now in existence, such as ALA’s. Mentioned also is the utility of a deontological code and their variety. This is followed by the explanation of the process involved in drafting the code, the selection of the educational model that establishes and interprets general principles, the selection of other codes that acted as references, and the ethical and professional values that should be kept in mind.