Research On Barriers And Protecting Of Library Intellectual Freedom In China

Intellectual freedom is a human rights, and human freedom that reflects in the field of library. Intellectual freedom is the right to acquire knowledge freely, or the right to express opinions and viewpoints freely. Intellectual freedom is an important part of human rights, and social infrastructure based which people can exercise democratic rights and realize their own value. Intellectual freedom contains freedom of knowledge acquisition and freedom of knowledge expression, freedom of knowledge acquisition is the state that people can obtain the required knowledge freely and legitimately, freedom of knowledge expression is the right that people can express subjective thoughts, opinions or knowledge of results equally. Freedom of knowledge acquisition and freedom of knowledge expression is two necessary sides of intellectual freedom, and two interdependent cycles.Public library protects the right of intellectual freedom for citizens in a democratic society, therefore, the realization of intellectual freedom must be based on library reality. A specific library activity is subject to every aspect of society, resulting in widespread obstacle to intellectual freedom. Obstacle of intellectual freedom is all factors which restrain the smooth progress of knowledge and intellectual activity of human; the factors are from their own subjective factors, but also from the social environment objective factors. Some obstacles to intellectual freedom which individuals can not eliminate on their own efforts, they need the help of the public.The barriers and protecting of intellectual freedom in the field of library have been studied in this paper. First, the research background and current research situation of intellectual freedom in domestic and abroad was introduced, and the content and research methods of this study were given. The connotation and manifestations of intellectual freedom were described, the rationality of intellectual freedom was discussed from the perspective of human rights and democracy social construction. Second, the academic research status, policy status and practice status of intellectual freedom in the field of library were emphasized, the efforts that the library in our country makes for maintaining civic knowledge was pointed out. The research of intellectual freedom in our country started late, and needs to be further strengthened. With the promotion of social democratization process, China has promulgated a series of policies which protect civil rights of knowledge, but policies and statements which named intellectual freedom in China have not yet promulgated. That affects smooth realization of knowledge freedom of our citizens. Third, the concept of intellectual freedom obstacles was briefly introduced, the universality of intellectual freedom was discussed from point of view that realization to knowledge freedom must be based on reality, and the existed specific barriers to intellectual freedom was introduced from both subjective and objective aspects. Finally, the necessity and the possibility for protection of intellectual freedom were demonstrated. Specific measures from the institutional, legal, resources, economy, and technology in five areas that safeguard the intellectual freedom of citizens were proposed. The function and the significance of protecting library intellectual freedom in China were summarized.