Page 59 - JOURNAL OF LIBRARY SCIENCE IN CHINA 2015 Vol. 41

058 Journal of Library Science in China, Vol. 7, 2015

Table 2. Equality in the system of library rights
Attitudes towards
Form of Nature Attribute Content Purpose Operation of rights individual
equality
differences
Formal equality Freedom Equality of Free and open, Open to all people Person use the library Against the
opportunity universal service free and equally, on needs unreasonable
equal conditions and difference
opportunities for
library use
Substantive Equality Equality of Focus on Provide conditions Library or national Admit reasonable
equality conditions vulnerable groups, and special attention institutions focus on difference
the development on inequality result the construction of
of the library of talent, ability and the vulnerable groups
construction in social conditions using the library
poor areas conditions

From Table 2, we can see that equality in the system of library rights not only includes formal
equality, but also includes substantive equality. Providing free public access to all social individuals
which public libraries advocate is a kind of equality of opportunity. It provides an opportunity to
read for all members of society. The individual can use the library resources as needed, and the
library makes no exception to all members of society, regardless of their origin, identity, ability,
social conditions and so on, which can be seen in The public library manifesto 1994. At the
same time, the library should pay more attention to social members in the substantive equality
of the right of the library, which means that we should focus on the result of inequality caused
by individuals who are inferior in talent, ability and social conditions in the free competitive
condition, and should do our best to change the new following inequality. The library can improve
the level of education and personal skills of social vulnerable groups and the poor areas through
improving the library construction and their reading conditions, which can help them acquire
the conditions and capabilities necessary for participating in the free competition, and reduce the
differences between them and the others. This approach which focuses on social vulnerable groups
is a kind of equal difference on the basis of the individual differences.
Opportunity equality and conditions equality are equally important as to the society and the
library. Opportunity inequality will affect the status of social equality at its roots. Conditions
inequality will affect the realization of social justice as a social background and premise. So the
essence of library rights is the unity of formal equality and substantive equality. It is a substantive
equality based on formal equality, and it may focus more on substantive equality. We can say that
“universal equality, benefaction for all the people” (Cheng, 2007) represents typically the equal
right of the library. The equal right focuses on the substantive equality, but not equality of result
with no differences, and it is not an absolute equalitarianism. Attention to vulnerable groups
reflects the public characteristics of libraries.