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012 Journal of Library Science in China, Vol.9, 2017

Librarianship explored library work from the perspective of information transmission and brought
about some new ideas. For example, “transmission of information is the core of the library and
information work”, and “the only way to library development is modernization”. Those ideas later
were developed to the “theory of document communication”. In the aspect of applied Library
Science, Huang Jungui and Yan Lizhong studied on the standardization of description of Chinese
books and approved the theory and practice of the standardization in the West. Their studies laid
the foundation for application of computers in libraries. Du Ke (1979) proposed learning from
experience of the West in networks building of librarianship and computer retrieval. He introduced
the central-branch libraries and mobile libraries in the West. It was 20 years later that the central-
branch libraries were put into practice.
The textbook Foundation of Library Science (1980) was the result of rebuilding Library Science.
Compiled by teachers in Peking University and Wuhan University, it deleted nonacademic contents
and complemented new concept such as library modernization. Due to limitation of knowledge
of western Library Science, the criticism and improvement of Dewey’s Library Science by the
Chicago School were not included in the textbook. It also confined the theoretical system of
Library Science to workflow. Therefore, different from other textbooks formally as it was, it still
belonged to empirical Library Science in its origin of thoughts and structure. It contained empirical
descriptions of library activities instead of analysis of social backgrounds or inner mechanism.
Influenced by the general optimism in the early Reform and Opening-up age, empirical Library
Science was put on too many expectations and received too many favorable comments. Yet from
the perspective of international Library Science development, studies of this period did not make
much progress.

3.2 Criticism of empirical Library Science

In the 1980s, people were not satisfied with the Library Science in the New Library Movement or
during the “Seventeen years” (1949-1966). They adjusted attentions to other domains with more
modern characteristics and western theoretical Library Science represented by the Chicago School.
In 1982 or so dissatisfaction with empirical Library Science was intensified and it received a new
round of criticisms. The generation after the resumption of university entrance examination began
to have a say and they also took part in criticisms on empirical Library Science.
Empirical Library Science existed in both theoretical foundation and applied Library Science,
but the criticisms were chiefly directed to foundation of Library Science. In Suggestion on the
Study of Knowledge Science (1981), Peng Xiuyi (1981) criticized the weak theoretical and
knowledge foundation of Library Science, its introductory course and teaching methods. His paper
evoked intense repercussion in journals such as the Library Science Research. Jin Enhui (1982)
said that “the theoretical foundation of Library Science has not figured out (or abstract) the general
principles of the body of knowledge, the laws of the information production and exchange as well