Page 89 - Journal of Library Science in China, Vol.47, 2021

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

internalized to form an independent scientific discipline from practice to theory.
The development of Information science in China has four stages. The first stage is from 1949 to
1977, when PRC was newly founded, facing a total economic blockade by the capitalist countries,
and everything waiting to be developed. Since it was difficult for China to obtain scientific and
technological information, in order to support and serve the country’s “catch-up development
strategy”, Premier ZHOU Enlai and other national leaders put forward a plan to develop scientific
and technological information industry with Chinese characteristics. In 1956, the State Scientific
and Technological Commission (SSTC) formulated the first 12-Year Long-term Science and
Technology Development Plan, also called The Long-term Program for Developing Science and
Technology from 1956 to 1967. Subsequently, SSTC set up its intelligence agencies, such as
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China and the Institute of National Defense
Science and Technology Information, etc. Under its leadership, the science and technology
commissions of various provinces also established intelligence agencies. With continuous study,
information collection, and research on advanced foreign science and technology, the information
science system with Chinese characteristics had gradually taken shape. The second stage is from
1978 to 1991, when China had just entered a new phase of comprehensive reform. Many foreign
capital and enterprises continued to come to China, breaking the status quo of domestic isolation.
At the same time, computer technology continued to develop and progress, and the working
methods and work contents of scientific and technological information are constantly changing.
Automatic online retrieval service and database construction emerged. Meanwhile, more and
more attention was paid to basic theoretical research. More and more papers on basic theories
and methods of information science appeared in various academic journals. More and more
books on information science were published, such as An Introduction to Information Science
(Wuhan University Press), Chinese Intelligence Work and Information Science Research by BAO
Changhuo, and An Introduction to Bibliometrics by LUO Shiwu, etc., of which An Introduction
to Information Science (Wuhan University Press) was designed as a textbook for college students
and marked the official beginning of information science education. The third stage is from 1992
to 2010. With the proposal of “science and technology are the primary productive forces”, China
clarified the goal of socialist market economic reform. The development of science and technology
and economic construction went hand in hand, and became inseparable. The theory, methods and
practice of Chinese information science had also developed. Scientific research results needed to
realize their social value as soon as possible. At the same time, the integration and development
of information and communication technologies had led to changes in information science. Its
vision, research scope and applicable fields were expanding. As a result, information science had
been further reformed, innovated and progressed. Practical application achievements and services
of information science such as digital libraries and scientific and technological search services
were born. The fourth stage is from 2011 till now, when China has been amplifying its voices on
the international stage, to build into a great modern socialist country with Chinese characteristics.