Page 54 - JOURNAL OF LIBRARY SCIENCE IN CHINA 2015 Vol. 41

The unity of freedom and equality in library rights

system

An CHANG 1 ∗
College of Politics & Law, Northwest University, Xi’an 710063, China

Abstract
This paper aims to analyze the unity of freedom and equality in library rights system, and puts forward
a view for the research of the justice nature of library rights. It points out that freedom and equality are
not a pair of totally harmonious concepts, and the tense between freedom and equality goes along with
the development of human rights. As the core content of system justice, freedom and equality provide
value reference for the development of library rights. By analyzing the relationship between freedom
and equality, we can master the original intention in the development of library rights more accurately as
well as ensure the freedom and equality at the same time when users use the library resources. Freedom
is the precondition and principle of the system so that users can have access to information without any
constraint. The library has to propose the claim for freedom and equality in the development of library
rights system, and the system justice is the unification foundation of library freedom and equality.
Through system construction, the library needs to confirm the role and responsibility of the government
in the realization of library freedom and equality.

Keywords
Library rights, Freedom and equality, System justice

Discussion on library rights mainly includes the library freedom theory (G. X. Li, 2000, 2005)
and the library rights of freedom and equality theory (Cheng, 2010, 2011; Cheng & Pan,
2004). The related researches abroad mainly concentrate on the importance of user privacy and
insurance of academic freedom at the library (Sutlieff & Chelin, 2010), intellectual freedom
(Cooper, 2010; Dresang, 2006) and so on, whose overall tendency is on the freedom expression.
Article 19 in The universal declaration of human rights, promulgated by United Nations (2014),
stands: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.” In comparison, protection
of the right of equality comes more from some organization declarations. For example, IFLA/
FAIFE claims in Statement on libraries and intellectual freedom that the unrestricted access
to information and expression is a fundamental human right and the library plays an important
role in the realization of equal access to information (IFLA, 2014). IFLA/UNESCO advocates
that there should be no difference in library equal service at the beginning of The public library
manifesto 1994. The library freedom theory claims that the library right should not be interfered
and that is a negative liberty right (Berlin, 1969). The Library rights of freedom and equality

* Correspondence should be addressed to An CHANG, Email: croon1978@sohu.com