Page 43 - Journal of Library Science in China, Vol.47, 2021

042 Journal of Library Science in China, Vol.13, 2021

1.1 Early development of the fundamental theory of library science with Chinese
characteristics (1909-1949)

In 1909, SUN Yuxiu, a scholar of the late Qing dynasty (1636-1912), finished a book titled
Library. The book, the first systematic monograph on library science in China, was published in
installment on the Education Magazine. Library is not a translated work, rather it is compiled by
SUN Yuxiu based on his reference to two Chinese scholars’ works on book acquisition, selection
and management (namely, Danshengtang Cangshuyue by QI Chenghan, Cangshu Jiyao by SUN
Qingzeng), as well as publications by the Ministry of Education of Japan, and reports by the
[3]
United States . SUN Yuxiu “relatively fully adopts comparative research methods to address the
[4]
issues that Chinese library community faces” , which is considered as the earliest attempt in the
localization of fundamental theory of library science in China.
With the establishment of the Boone Library School, a number of localized library science
courses, textbooks, journals and academic papers were released, forming an important foundation
for the basic theoretical system of library science with Chinese characteristics. This period
witnessed the emergence of a large number of monographs and papers on the fundamental theory
of library science. For instance, DU Dingyou published papers titled Libraries and Civilian
Education, Library and Education, as well as a series of monographs, including A General
Introduction to Libraries(1925), Lecture Notes on Library Science(1925), and Bibliography(1926),
An Introduction to Library Science(1927), blowing up a whirlwind of “DU’s publications”. YANG
Zhaozhe published his book Library Science in 1923. In 1926, the Library Association of China
inaugurated the Library Science Quarterly, with LIU Guojun serving as the editor-in-chief. In the
same year, HONG Youfeng published the Organization and Management of Library, and eight
years later in 1934, LIU Guojun completed his work titled Essentials of Library Science. These
works introduce and discuss basic theories about the nature, purpose, significance and functions of
library, as well as the concept, scope and disciplinary value of library science, the purpose of which
is as claimed in the Library Science Quarterly: “to explore approaches to apply the principle of
serving the public good, balancing the gain and loss, while seeking perfection and convenience, in
an attempt to build a system of ‘Chinese library science’ and improve the value of library science
[5]
as a whole” .
In this period, the research outcomes on fundamental theory of library science demonstrate
explorations into the disciplinary system of library science. YANG Zhaozhe, in Library Science,
classifies the library science disciplinary system into two categories, “orthodox” (on principles and
laws) and “applied”(on methodology and techniques) . DU Dingyou, in A General Introduction to
[6]
Libraries, proposes an improved disciplinary system, dividing library science into specialized and
supporting branches, with the specialized branch further categorized into theoretical and applied
parts. In 1935, LI Jingxin proposed in his paper a “historical” and “systematic” classification of
library science, with the “systematic” library science sub-dividing into “theoretical library science”