Page 37 - Journal of Library Science in China, Vol.45, 2019
P. 37
036 Journal of Library Science in China, Vol.11, 2019
library completed the transformation from the traditional manual work to computer cataloging
in the process. Nowadays we may consider MARC old-fashioned in the field. However, it
makes tremendous contribution to the librarianship. Without MARC, the resource sharing will
lack its foundation which is the most important. To date, no standardization in any field can
match cataloging in the library in the humanistic and social sciences, and no field can match the
standardization of cataloging in contribution to the development of global librarianship in all the
library studies.
In the digital and networking age, the library is still the most standardized profession in the
world public cultural system. Standardization provides more possibilities for international
cooperation and makes information resource sharing available. In the process of standardization of
world library community, ISO and IFLA have done a lot, and the Chinese library community has
also contributed much in making international standards Chinese.
3.2 Technical aspect: Chinization of international technologies
In the new century, the library steps into the digital and networking age and information
technology becomes the mainstream in the library science research. The subject of library science
research begins to be generalized, the focus of library science research gradually blurs and the
main researchers become externalized.
Only the information technology that highlights the library is in the research category of the
library science. For example, the big data has no direct relationship with the library and only the
big data related to the library is in the category of library research. In the information technical
aspect, the Chinese library science research mainly focuses on the applied study of international
information technology in Chinese libraries, i.e. Chinization of international technologies. The
significant applied projects are mainly in three systems.
The first is in the academic system, namely the China Academic Library & Information System
(CALIS, 1998), the China Academic Digital Associative Library (CADAL, 2002) and the China
Academic Humanities and Social Sciences Library (CASHL, 2002).
The second is in the public library system, namely the National Digital Library of China (1998)
and the National Cultural Information Resources Sharing Project (2002).
The third is in the technology library system, namely the National Science and Technology
Library (NSTL, 2000)
Those projects are still being developed at present, which promotes the libraries’ digitalization
and networking as well as modernization of subjects of the library science. Digital library, mobile
library, smart library, Electronic Document Delivery (EDD), digital preservation, open access,
intellectual property, metadata and linked data become new topics in the library science research,
which transforms the library science research and plays an important role in improving the social
function and value of the library in the digital age.