The Study On Information Equity

The rapid development of IT has pushed human society into a knowledge economic age. Nowadays, information has become a kind of strategic resources with a more important value. But, the issue on "digital divide" all over the world has baffled economic development and the foundation of harmonious world, which has exacerbated the situation of economic divide and poverty-rich divide. Hence, resolving the issue on digital divide has become a common voice from international society.Only when information equity has been achieved, the issue on digital divide can be resolved. This paper discusses the basic theories about information equity, puttingforward the main body approach------the equitable view on information ability. Thispaper also discusses the system frame on information equity, introducing international policies on information equity. With china's situation, this paper brings forward countermeasure which can advance information equity, especially giving prominence to the position of public library among the system.The paper includes five parts:Chapter 1: introduces the history and actuality of research about information equity, pointing out that foreign research experienced a stage from early study on "information divide " to "digital divide" to "equitable access", importing the "The Vertical Perspective" and "The Horizontal Perspective". With domestic research, this paper introduces domestic actuality and points out its deficiency, put forward this paper's approach, method, frame and new ideas.Chapter 2: discusses the basic theories about information equity deeply and bounds the information adapted for equitable use into the public fields. This chapter also demonstrates the relationship among information equity, information rights and information freedom. From points of view of politics, economics and sociology, the chapter discussed the necessity and feasibility of information equity, pointing that themain body approach------the equitable view on information ability has become the goaland direction of international policies. The chapter also introduces the actuality of digital divide under the Internet environment, indicating the imminency of resolving the issue of digital divide. Chapter 3: introduces the four taches or achieving information equity and designs the system frame: information publicity system, universal service system, the masses media system, public education system and public library system. This chapter stands out the importance of public library system among the whole guarantee systems. With the comparison to masses media resources, governmental resources, and Internet resources, this chapter indicates the important position of public library system, pointing out the great significance of library in the process of establishing harmonious society.Chapter 4: introduces the policies about information equity adopted by foreign governments, international society and libraries. This policies includes: universal service, information publicity, equitable access and free access, equitable service for the disadvantage, library exempting from Intellectual Property, etc. this chapter also introduces the measures and future plans on conducting the policies.Chapter 5: with practice, this chapter puts forward the countermeasures and methods about advancing China's information equity, designing the whole frame: government should take on the duty of guaranteeing information equity, making the governmental resources become social resources by policies, restricting the excess protection for intellectual property, urging the enterprises with public services take up the duty of maintain information equity, establishing the nationwide information sharing system and providing free access points, improving public education system and public library system, commit to enhance masses' information ability. Finally, this chapter especially points out the methods should put emphasis on achieving the equitable information ability and focus on the information contents.