FIVE LAWS OF LIBRARY SCIENCE

• If you want to drive a car, you need to understand a few basic principles about operating a car.

• Similarly, it is essential to understand the principles of Library and Information Science to manage the libraries very effectively and efficiently.

• Five laws help us to overcome many difficulties.• Five laws also help us to serve the user community better.• Five laws help us to organize knowledge/books/collection and

make the library effective and functional.• Five laws provide a unified philosophy and define the purpose

and functions of a library.• Five laws are the philosophy of our profession. • Five laws are the vision and mission statements of a library.• Five laws are very simple, yet very powerful.

Why Study Five Laws of Library Science ?Why Study Five Laws of Library Science ?

• Five Laws of Library Science are the basic foundation of Library management

• Ranganathan Simplified the Management principles by these five Laws

• “Five Laws of Library Science” This book published in 1931.• These Laws act like a supreme court to solve any aspect of Library

Management, be it a Classification, Cataloguing, Acquisition, Reference Service, Preservation etc.

• In addition there are principles and canons of classification and cataloguing which act as High courts and District courts while handling any library activity and any conflict should be resolved using these canons, Principles and finally the Laws of Library Science.

Contd… Why Study Five Laws of Library Science ?Contd… Why Study Five Laws of Library Science ?

• Books are for use (Mission Statement)• Every reader his/her book (Vision Statement)• Every book its reader (Marketing Strategy)• Save the time of the reader (Customer orientation, customer

satisfaction)• Library is a growing organism (Planning, Organizing, Collection

Management Weeding, Expansion etc.).

Five Laws of Library ScienceFive Laws of Library Science

• The first law gives definition of both to the concept of an open access library and to a library that is with tools and furnishings that make the books it contains useful pen access library

• This law dictates the development of systems that accommodate the use of library materials.

• Eg. Proper and regular shelving of materials facilitates the use of books.

• Logical, topical arrangement of materials also facilitates the use of books.

• To conclude, we must provide proper facilities and organized collection (printed/Electronic)that invite and promote the use of resources.

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Books are for useBooks are for use

• This law has many important implications for the library.• The fundamental issue it reveals is the tension between the cost of

materials and the basic right of all the persons to have access to the materials they need.

• Library should acquire literature or materials that will benefit each of its readers and researchers.

• Formulate policies to develop adequate collection to fulfill the expectations of its users.

• Formulate adequate access policies with regard to access of materials in different formats, microfiche, CD-ROM, other electronic formats and other privileges such as printing, passwords, network etc.

• Librarians must know their reader well in order to serve them better to satisfy the second law of library of science.

• Reference function of the library is very important.• Bibliographies, research guides, exhibits highlighting the collection is

very crucial in bringing every reader to his/her book. 6

Every reader his/her bookEvery reader his/her book

• How can the librarian find a reader for every book? - Distribution of acquisition lists - New book exhibits - Providing research guides and bibliographies, newsletters

etc.• Emergence of electronic resources are a new challenge . - How can we convey to users about the electronic resources

available or subscribed and what about the cybervisitors who use a library’s web site for research.

- In the digital age , getting the ‘book’ to its reader presents us with unique challenges.

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Every book its readerEvery book its reader

• It presents the biggest challenge to the library administrator.• Policies have to be framed with the needs of the library users in mind.• Hours of operation must be appropriate and convenient to access

library resources for research.• Everything (arrangement of collection etc.,) should be self explanatory

and inviting so as to save the time of the user in getting his/her materials.

• Provide appropriate access to the electronic resources available across the campus.

• Employ best available technologies (E-mail, telephone etc.) to provide quick access to materials.

• Saving the time of the reader means providing efficient ,effective service. The satisfied users is the measure of library’s success. Frustrated or disappointed users mean that the library has failed in its duty and its responsibility.

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Save the time of the readerSave the time of the reader

• A library acquires materials regularly, and assimilates what it needs and it discharges its waste.

• If the service function of a library is the soul of a library, administration is its mind and technical services is the body.

• The technical service function of a library is charged with keeping a collection healthy. The library must receive a steady diet of “nutrients and supplements” (information Resources) to keep all of the library’s part healthy and reliable.

• Care must be exercised by the technical services librarians while discontinuing any subscription. Administrators also take them very seriously, giving generous support and encouragement.

• It is a common fallacy among many administrators (professionals and non librarians alike) who exercise control over library budgets that one way to save money is to merely cancel group subscription and then restart them after a year so.

• If the nutrients are cut off for any length of time of a living organism, the overall health of the organism will be affected.

• This law pleads for overall Planning, Organizing, Collection Management Weeding, Expansion etc.) 9

Library is a growing organismLibrary is a growing organism

Atherton, Pauline A. Putting Knowledge to Work: An American View of Ranganathans Five Laws of Library Science. Bombay, India: Vikas Publishing House Pvt Ltd., 1973.

1.Information is for use2. Every reader his/her Information3.Every bit of Information its reader 4.Save the time of the Information seeker5.Information is ever growing

Adaptations of Five LawsAdaptations of Five Laws

Open Source and Ranganathan’s Five Laws of Library Science by Mentor Consulting Services

Contd… Adaptations of Five Laws Contd… Adaptations of Five Laws

The First Law Books are for use Software is for use

The Second LawEvery readers his or her book or Books are for all

Every user his or her software or software is for all

The Third Law Every book its reader. Every software its user

The Fourth Law Save the time of the reader. Save the time of the user

The Fifth Law Library is a growing organism

A software Library is a growing organism Note: The American heritage Dictionary defines Library as it pertains to Computer Science in the following way: A collection of standard programs, routines, or subroutines, often related to a specific application, that are available for general use.

Contd… Adaptations of Five Laws Contd… Adaptations of Five Laws

Lennart Bjorman (Webometrician) Assistant Professor, Department of Information Studies, Royal School of Library and Information Science, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2004

1. Links are for use – the very essence of hypertext; 2. Every surfer his or her link – the rich diversity of links across

topics and genres; 3. Every link its surfer – ditto; 4. Save the time of the surfer – visualizing web clusters and

small-world shortcuts; 5.The Web is a growing organism

The whole philosophy of librarianship is based on Five laws of library Science. These laws look very simple, and when you contemplate as we continue to work in our libraries will provide us with basic tenets to guide us in discharging our duties as keepers of knowledge of our culture.

ConclusionConclusion

Thank you !