Research On The Psychological Foundation For The Existence Of Public Library

The popularity of philosophy as liberty, equity and equality ushered in the establishment of the first public library in the world in 19th century. By now, in the era of the fast-developing post-industrial society, public library has exerted profound influence as the safeguard for public information equality and equity. As the derivative of aforesaid modern concepts, public library will demonstrate great significance in the rapid evolution of modern society and thus arouse greater social and public concern.Although an indispensable component of modern society, little study has been done on the basis for its existence. Accompanying social changes, problems sprouted from time to time during the development of public library, to address with, researches were done on the base for its existence. This thesis was composed with the object to clarify the relationships between the development of public library and the implementation of liberty and equity in the sharing of public information, and elaborate its social status; while at the same time put forth the author's own ideas with the above-mentioned study combined with the practical issues of public library.The introduction in the first chapter illustrates the background, objective, existing studys in this field including the study states, methodologies and innovative achievements. The second chapter started with the social backgrounds for the coming of public libraries, ensued with the process of the perceptions human liberty and equity (its origin, formation and evolution), justifying the facts that public library is a reflection and materialization for the liberty and equity in pubic information of human society as well as an effective measure to ensure the equality in obtaining public information. An conclusion was thus drawn that sociality is the core nature of public library.In the third chapter, the author pointed out the social significance for a clear understanding of the psychological foundation where public library stands. Superficial and substantial reasons for its existence were analyzed with the conclusion that the latter reason was the first priority. The evocable relationship between the development of public library and the conceptual improvements, and the relationship between public library and the progress in science and technology. Summary was then reached that a distinct understanding about the nature of public library was the precondition for the study on the issues of public library. The forth chapter mainly concerned the status of Chinese public library, especially in the aspect of the guarding mechanism for a equal sharing of public information. Five sub-chapters were adopted for this part, exposing the obstacles hindering the development of public library: low attendance, inadequate government financial backing, the lack of legal supporting (the absence of specialized law for library), challenges from the rapid development of science and technology, weak human resources and the brain-drain of high-class practitioners in public library field, and the unsatisfactory services resulting from defective ownership system. Countermeasures and advices for the above problems were then forwarded, which consisted the fifth chapter of this thesis. The significance and core character of public library were to ensure the equality in the public information sharing system, to keep which was the basic principle in any reform and transformation. In the process of social development, public library could exert its function to accomplish equal information sharing and serve the public. It can take the role as information center to advocate the publicizing of social equality, and serve the vulnerable groups (migrant workers and low-income populations) and remote areas, to fulfill which, the following steps could be taken, say, including public library into a specific social security system, issuing library law, providing government-oriented financial support, exception regulations in ownership system, improving the professional management of its practitioners, and setting up accessible and reliable public libraries.Summary was available in the last part, where the author expressed the confidence for a new start for public library in China, the deficiencies of this thesis as well as the anticipation for the future study in this area.