It sometimes goes beyond "access" issues.

Many years ago, the Diversity Committee of the University Library System at Pitt conducted focus groups for library users from a variety of constituencies.

The major concern that arose during our meeting with GLBT library users was cataloging-related. Several students were very angry and upset that the library was shelving books about homosexuality near books about prostitution. They believed that this indicated a negative bias against them.

I explained to them that the LC classification system used by the library reflected moral values that existed when the classification system was developed around the turn of the 20th century. I indicated that there were mechanisms in place at the Library of Congress to suggest changes, and I gave them contact information for the Cataloging Policy and Support Office. I don't know if any of them followed up by contacting CPSO. This happened not too long after a major initiative by Sanford Berman to have many offensive subject headings and classification numbers changed.

I would never have known about the negative feelings generated by the cataloging of this category of material had I not participated in the focus group. There could be many other library users who never make their feelings known, but stop coming to the library because they consider it an unfriendly environment.

The first entry in the ALA Code of Ethics is:

        We provide the highest level of service to all library users through appropriate and usefully organized resources; equitable service policies; equitable access; and accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests.

So trying to make our cataloging and classification systems free of bias goes beyond access and extends to the more general concept of library service.

Best wishes,

Faye R. Leibowitz
General Languages Team Leader
Catalog Management Unit
University Library System
University of Pittsburgh
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-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion List for issues related to cataloging & metadata education & training [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Suzanne Stauffer
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 7:07 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [eduCAT] Ethics in Cataloging

It depends on how you are defining "ethics." I would only see what you describe as unethical if it were being done deliberately in order to prevent a specific group of people from finding the information or to prevent access to a specific class of information.

Suzanne M. Stauffer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
School of Library and Information Science Louisiana State University
275 Coates Hall
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
(225)578-1461
Fax: (225)578-4581
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