S.R. Ranganathan and his Five Laws of Library Science

S. R. Ranganathan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.

In 2004, librarian Alireza Noruzi recommended applying Ranganathan's laws to the Web in his paper, "Application of Ranganathan's Laws to the Web":

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.

External links:

·    Full text of The Five Laws of Library Science at HathiTrust Digital Library.