abstract: This article investigates how Romanian librarians interpret and apply the principle of neutrality across traditional library services and digital platforms, using Wikipedia as the functioning model. Based on semistructured interviews with thirteen professionals from public libraries and academic institutions, the study explores how neutrality is understood and practiced in the context of a postsocialist, semiperipheral European country. Although professional codes of ethics define neutrality as a core value, participants often described it as a strategy for avoiding conflict and protecting themselves in politically sensitive or under-resourced environments. Wikipedia’s Neutral Point of View policy provides an evidence-based model that some librarians found useful for clarifying their approach to neutrality. This research found that tensions emerged between institutional policies, personal beliefs, and public expectations, especially in rural areas where librarians often work in isolation and face local political pressures. Findings reveal a gap between abstract ethical standards and day-to-day practice, shaped by historical censorship, uneven professional training, political interference, and a culture of cautious engagement. This study offers an Eastern European perspective to discussions on library ethics and concludes with recommendations for developing locally grounded training programs and updating ethics codes to better support librarians in physical and digital service contexts.
Şerbănuţă et al. (Fri,) studied this question.