S.R. Ranganathan and his Five Laws of Library Science
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Shiyali Ramamrita
Ranganathan (12 August 1892 – 27
September 1972) was a mathematician and librarian from India. His most notable
contributions to the field were his five laws of library science and the development of
the first major analytico-synthetic classification system, the colon
classification. He is considered to be the father of library science,documentation, and information
science in India and is widely
known throughout the rest of the world for his fundamental thinking in the
field. His birthday is observed every year as the National Library Day in
India.
He was a university
librarian and professor of library science at Benares Hindu University (1945–47) and professor
of library science at the University
of Delhi (1947–55). The last appointment made him director of the
first Indian school of librarianship to offer higher degrees. He was president
of the Indian Library Association from 1944 to 1953. In 1957 he was elected an
honorary member of the International Federation for
Information and Documentation (FID) and was made a vice
president for life of the Library Association of Great Britain.
Five Laws of Library Science
The Five laws of library science is a theory proposed by S. R. Ranganathan in 1931, detailing the
principles of operating a library system. Many librarians
worldwide accept them as the foundations of their philosophy.
These laws are:
1. Books are for use.
2. Every reader his [or her]
book.
3. Every book its reader.
4. Save the time of the
reader.
5. The library is a growing
organism.
Overview:
First Law: Books are for use.
The first law constitutes
the basis for the library services. Dr. Ranganathan observed that books were
often chained to prevent their removal and that the emphasis was on storage and
preservation rather than use. He did not reject the notion that preservation
and storage were important, but he asserted that the purpose of such activities
was to promote the use of them. Without the use of materials, there is little
value in the item. By emphasizing use, Dr. Ranganathan refocused the attention
of the field to access-related issues, such as the library's location, loan
policies, hours and days of operation, as well as such mundanities as library
furniture and the quality of staffing.
First law of library
science “Books are for use” this means that Books in Libraries are not meant to
be shut away from people.
Second
Law: Every reader his or her book
This law suggests that
every member of the community should be able to obtain materials needed. Dr.
Ranganathan felt that all individuals from all social environments were
entitled to library service, and that the basis of library use was education,
to which all were entitled. These entitlements were not without some important
obligations for both libraries/librarians and library patrons. Librarians
should have excellent first-hand knowledge of the people to be served.
Collections should meet the special interests of the community, and libraries
should promote and advertise their services extensively to attract a wide range
of readers.
Second law of library
science “Every reader his (or her) book” this means we don’t judge what someone
wants to read. Everyone has different tastes and differences & we should
respect that.
Third Law: Every book its reader
This principle is closely
related to the second law but it focuses on the item itself, suggesting that
each item in a library has an individual or individuals who would find that
item useful. Dr. Ranganathan argued that the library could devise many methods
to ensure that each item finds it appropriate reader. One method involved the
basic rules for access to the collection, most notably the need for open
shelving.
Third law of library
science “Every book its reader” this means we should have books in the library
even if there is just one person who wants to read it. We shouldn’t just have
popular books.
Fourth Law: Save the time of the reader
This law is recognition
that part of the excellence of library service is its ability to meet the needs
of the library user efficiently. To this end, Dr. Ranganathan recommended the
use of appropriate business methods to improve library management. He observed
that centralizing the library collection in one location provided distinct
advantages. He also noted that excellent staff would not only include those who
possess strong reference skills, but also strong technical skills in
cataloging, cross-referencing, ordering, accessioning, and the circulation of
materials.
Fourth law of library
science “Save the time of the user” this means it should be as easy as possible
to find what you want in the library and the library should be accessible to
all.
Fifth Law: The library is a growing organism
This law focused more on
the need for internal change than on changes in the environment itself. Dr.
Ranganathan argued that library organizations must accommodate growth in staff,
the physical collection, and patron use. This involved allowing for growth in
the physical building, reading areas, shelving, and in space for the catalog.
Fifth law of library
science “The library is a growing organism” this means that a library is always
changing. The books need to be updated over time, new books should be bought
and old books replaced.
Variants:
Librarian Michael Gorman (past president of the American Library Association, 2005–2006), and Walt
Crawford recommended the following laws in addition to Ranganathan's five laws in Future Libraries: Dreams, Madness, and Realities [American Library
Association,1995], (p.8). Gorman later repeated them in his small book, Our Singular Strengths [American Library
Association,1998]:
1. Libraries serve humanity.
2. Respect all forms by
which knowledge is communicated.
3. Use technology
intelligently to enhance service.
4. Protect free access to
knowledge.
5. Honor the past and create
the future.
1. Web resources are for
use.
2. Every user has his or her
web resource.
3. Every web resource its
user.
4. Save the time of the
user.
5. The Web is a growing
organism.
In 2008, librarian Carol
Simpson recommended that editing be done to Ranganathan's law due to media
richness. The following were:
1. Media are for use.
2. Every patron his
information.
3. Every medium its user.
4. Save the time of the
patron.
5. The library is a growing
organism.
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