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

digital library faced like technical problems, copyright, financial strains and other non-technical
problems. The study on the digital library was more meaningful for Chinese Library Science than
just some papers and projects. In the late 1990s many librarians of different domains and ranks in
terms of professional knowledge studied technical progress, which was unprecedented. It changed
the essential attributes of Chinese Library Science which led to the inclusion of technical issues as
an integral part of Library Science.

5 2002-2016: Shining period in the new century

In the new century Chinese Library Science entered into a new epoch. As the revival of
social rights, the social welfare in social management and cultural policies is highlighted and
financial provisions on the library increase by years. In the theoretical domain, new generation
library scientists begin to play an important role. In practice, library administrators’ abilities
of understanding and application are enhanced, which helps to make innovations in library
management and services. After years of efforts trying to catching up with the international Library
Science and years of standstill and confusion, Chinese Library Science finally integrates in the
international community. The theoretical study during this period makes people deep impression in
the following three aspects.

5.1 Study, broadcast and application of service values

Library services are specialized services. One of its characteristics is to upholding basic values in
management and services. Originated from cultural rights of citizens, the values are promises of the
profession to society. Modern library professional values are an understood thing in international
library community. However, theorists did not truly studied or understand them whether in the
New Library Movement or in the rebuilding phase in the 1980s, which to some extent led to the
miscomprehension of service values in the 1990s.
In A few opinions on the theory of the freedom of library (2012), Li Guoxin (G.X. Li, 2002)
set forth that “it is a kind of right for citizens to make use of the library freely” by discussion and
analysis of The Library Bill of Rights and Library Liberty Declaration. Studies on library rights
became popular. In 2005 the Library Society of China took the topic as the first agenda in its New
Year Summit. The Library Development started a column “To the age of rights”. Public library
spirits study was also a hot topic. In 2002 Fan Bingsi discussed the public library’s guaranteeing
citizens’ access to knowledge or information. In A Modern Defense of the Spirit of the Public
Library (2004), he expounded the idea more systematically: the public library was a system
to guarantee social knowledge or information, which provides citizens with freedom to access
knowledge or information (Fan, 2004).
On the basis of studies on library rights and public library spirits, service values have aroused