In January 2021 the final version of the Cataloguing Code of Ethics was published (available from: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IBz7nXQPfr3U1P6Xiar9cLAkzoNX_P9fq7eHvzfSlZ0/edit?usp=sharing). This document is the result of an international collaboration between members of the cataloguing community. A six-member Cataloging Ethics Steering Committee was formed (website: https://sites.google.com/view/cataloging-ethics/home) with representatives from USA, Canada and the United Kingdom. However, many more people wanted to participate in this effort from other countries as well. International participation was achieved through the formation and operation of working groups that worked together in order to finalize the Cataloguing Code of Ethics.
The paper will introduce the Cataloguing Code of Ethics and its statements of ethical principles. It will suggest a critical mindset that we must keep when we use our cataloguing tools. Examples from international bibliography will refer to the classification systems of Dewey and Library of Congress and how they mirrored the beliefs of American white men and marginalized “others”. The paper will also present the Greek translation of the Cataloguing Code of Ethics that was translated by this author and that is available from the Steering Committee’s website (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_2BI4wUyNtZCyGf2eRtODoNSZaksQIw2sI8famV8_2Q/edit). The Code’s main points will be presented and how they can function in our everyday working lives. Finally, it will be suggested to the body of participants that the Greek librarian/ cataloguing community edits the Greek translation of the Cataloguing Code of Ethics via a common online effort.