"[…] Now that they have meddled once, what would stop them from doing it again?"

This study explores the impact of non-legitimate political influence on professional ethics in the librarian profession, focusing specifically on the Swedish context. It addresses the conflict between politics and public libraries, which jeopardizes the library's role as an open and democratic place. This study is based on qualitative interview studies within the research topic, which is a limited research method in the field. Employing a professional theoretical framework, this study examines variations in non-legitimate political influence experienced by public librarians and their strategies for navigating ethical challenges. It aims to illuminate the potential conflicts between political agendas and core library values, which can undermine public trust in the profession. By highlighting the unique conditions of Swedish libraries and analyzing the interplay of politics and library operations, this research contributes to a further understanding professional ethics within library and information science. Given the limited research on this topic, particularly in the Swedish context, filling this gap is important. Through interviews centered on undue political influence, the findings provide valuable insights into ethical dilemmas faced by librarians and exposes conflicting interests that may not align with the library's values. In summary, this research deepens our understanding of how non-legitimate political pressures challenge professional ethics in the librarian profession. It addresses the urgent need to bridge the research gap on professional ethics and lays the groundwork for future studies on this topic in library and information science.