M1L4: Five Laws of Library Science

NIOS Senior Secondary 12th Library and Information Science (339) Module 1 Library, Information and Society Lesson 4 Chapter 4

five laws of library science

• represent the services and philosophies of all types of libraries 

• given by Dr Shiyali Ramamitra Ranganathan (1892-1972) in his 1931 book

• first law is credited to his maths teacher Prof. Edward N Ross

first law (five laws of library science)

(five laws of library science)

books are for use

second law (five laws of library science)

(five laws of library science)

every reader their book

third law (five laws of library science)

(five laws of library science)

every book its reader

fourth law (five laws of library science)

(five laws of library science)

save the time of the reader

fifth law (five laws of library science)

(five laws of library science)

library is a growing organisation

implications of the first law (implications of five laws of library science)

(implications of five laws of library science)

• in ancient and mediaeval times, books weren’t used often and preservation was prioritised

• libraries were considered institutions of preserving and storing books

• post industrial society led to the modern library → libraries are valued for their service in providing resources and knowledge

• Ranganathan thinks that the storage and preservation of books should promote usage

• he focused on the accessibility of books through various measures

library location (implications of the first law)

(implications of the first law)

• should be located amongst its users

• eg. a public library should be in the heart of the city / town

• eg. an academic library should be accessible to all students on campus

• shouldn’t be in a noisy place and other disturbances should be addressed

library hours (implications of the first law)

(implications of the first law)

• depends on the community of users

• should be kept open as long as possible

• opening and closing times should be set appropriately to ensure max usage

library furniture (implications of the first law)

(implications of the first law)

• should be comfortable and functional

• stack rooms should be vermin proof, theft proof, air proof

• lights, fans, soundproof floor, etc should be provided 

• should depend on the type of users (adults, children, etc)

• racks should be short enough for average height people to reach the top shelf

• tables and chairs should be comfortable

book selection (implications of the first law)

(implications of the first law)

• should meet the needs of present and potential users

• books should look neat and be easy to handle

• should be kept clean and in good condition

• worn out, obsolete, and damaged books should be weeded out periodically

library staff (implications of the first law)

(implications of the first law)

• should have qualified and well trained staff to make sure the books are used as much as possible

• staff should assist users to use library resources 

• library staff need to 

  • know the needs of the users

  • teach them to use library resources

  • have service attitude 

  • have suitable status and be paid properly

implications of the second law (implications of five laws of library science)

(implications of five laws of library science)

• removes the notion that only few and chosen people should access books 

  • similar to how the first law opposes the previous purpose of books and libraries

• first law is from books’ pov, second law is from users’ pov

• emphasises availability of library services to all readers, regardless of age, sex, occupation, capacity for self help, ability to read, etc

• four obligations make it possible for each reader to access their book

• this law recommends that all libraries in a country / region cooperate and form a single system to form a single pool of knowledge

• all books to should be made available to readers in some format - shouldn’t be idle

obligation of the state (implications of the second law)

(implications of the second law)

• establishing and maintaining libraries is the responsibility of the state → government

• library legislation → for public library system, regarding library tax / levy to be collected from the people

• connects libraries in a state with the state central library 

  • creates coordination of resources through inter-library loan 

• the state also recommends making a provision for 

  • union library act

  • national central library law

  • finance

• the law would like an integrated library grid (horizontal and vertical levels) of public library system

obligation of library authority (implications of the second law)

(implications of the second law)

• should make good choices regarding books and staff of the library

choice of books (obligation of library authority)

(obligation of library authority)

• selection of books is based on the needs of the users

• library authority has to make provisions to grow the collection 

• can use comprehensive user surveys to build the collection according to the taste and interests of the readers

choice of staff (obligation of library authority)

(obligation of library authority)

• to appropriately use the collection of books, competent staff is needed

• only well trained staff can satisfy the users’ requirements and locate materials

• library authorities should plan for and recruit qualified library staff in order to implement the second law

obligation of library staff (implications of the second law)

(implications of the second law)

• library staff need to deal with their obligations efficiently 

• they have to have certain attitudes and practices 

• in addition to providing materials, they must make sure the readers get the materials of their interest they visit the library 

• staff should know the readers, possess knowledge of books and the collection, provide reference service, etc 

• should provide bibliographic, indexing, abstracting, etc services

cataloguing of documents (obligation of library staff)

(obligation of library staff)

• many documents have multiple subjects and don’t show all contents

• catalogue should show all types of content in a text through cross reference entries and subject analytical entries

• library should be fully analytical and have the needed cross reference entries

open access system (obligation of library staff)

(obligation of library staff)

• helps reader decide what books they want to read

• books are kept on the shelves and easily accessible to the reader

• easier for readers to choose a suitable book

obligation of the reader (implications of the second law)

(implications of the second law)

• should follow the rules and regulations of the readers to utilise library resources effectively and efficiently

implications of the third law (implications of five laws of library science)

(implications of five laws of library science)

• maximum use of books by readers

• the appropriate reader for each book should be found 

• suggests that each book has an individual or multiple readers who need it

• advocates for open access system, classified shel arrangement, subject analytical entries, provision of reference services, publicity methods, extension services, and book selection policy

open access (implications of the third law)

(implications of the third law)

• reader can select their own items from the shelves 

• increases use of books → implementing the third law

shelf arrangement (implications of the third law)

(implications of the third law)

• need to arranges books in a classified sequence based on their content

• brings materials of the same subject together for easier browsing

• shelf area having well devised guides and labels increases item usage

easy access (implications of the third law)

(implications of the third law)

• books should be within easy reach of readers

• height of racks shouldn’t exceed average height of reader

• topmost shelf should be easily reachable for someone of average height

• shelf shouldn’t have more breadth than needed

catalogue (implications of the third law)

(implications of the third law)

• subject analytical entries help readers find suitable books 

• series entries → provide info on the whole set of books 

• alphabetic part → where all books in the same series are put together

• classified part → subject cross reference entries for documents with subject as the heading and if it has different subjects

publicity (implications of the third law)

(implications of the third law)

• can be done through annual reports, library bulletins / magazines, printed catalogues, subject book lists, list of latest additions, etc 

• to attract the attention of readers to different books

display of books (implications of the third law)

(implications of the third law)

• newly added books should be displayed

• thematic / subject based display of books

• done for special occasions or different time periods (seasons, festivals, etc)

implications of the fourth law (implications of five laws of library science)

(implications of five laws of library science)

• demands there be no time lag between the user’s demand and document supplied

• latest technologies should be used 

• users should be trained to use library resources independently

• this law deals with library policy and administration 

• advocates for classification and cataloguing system, open access, shelf arrangement, stack room guides, reference services, and central locations

classified arrangement (implications of the fourth law)

(implications of the fourth law)

• saves time because all books on the same subject are in one place

• arranging entries in the catalogue in a classified way helps the reader

catalogue entry (implications of the fourth law)

(implications of the fourth law)

• composite books require cross references and subject analytic entries as they cover many subjects

• this requires

  • classified arrangement of cards in the catalogue cabinet

  • analytic entries for composite books

• also requires a bipartite classified catalogue as readers use different things to find books, such as author, title, collaborate, series, etc

• classified catalogue categorises entries in a filiatory sequence based on the class number where the number represents a certain subject (eg. DDC)

• alphabetic catalogue categorises entries based on authors, title, collaborator, and subject

open access (implications of the fourth law)

(implications of the fourth law)

• fourth law opposes the process of closed access system with the other laws

reference service (implications of the fourth law)

(implications of the fourth law)

• should have professional knowledge to provide guidance in referencing

• librarians should be able to give long range reference service using information tools

• library staff should be friendly and helpful to users

issue method (implications of the fourth law)

(implications of the fourth law)

• using an efficient circulation system to save time

• enables maximum book issuing and returning within the shortest possible time

• the system should address the following queries

  • what and how many books are lent on a given date

  • how many books have been loaned out to a given person 

  • what books are due for return on a given date

• recommends two card system to answer all queries and eliminate time waste

centralised / pre-natal cataloguing (implications of the fourth law)

(implications of the fourth law)

• ranganathan advocated for this to save the time of the staff

• urges library to make a uniform cataloguing code for international cooperative cataloguing 

• also supports centralised documentation work at international level to save time, money, and manpower

stack room guides (implications of the fourth law)

(implications of the fourth law)

• efficient system of guides and tags should be provided

• readers should be able to find books on their own easily

library location (implications of the fourth law)

(implications of the fourth law)

• to address the time taken for the readers to reach the library

• library should be located in an easily accessible place in urban areas 

• branch libraries and delivery stations should be set up for rural areas 

• rural population can also be served with mobile vans, small libraries, and delivery stations

• all these libraries should be connected to and operating with a district / regional central library

implications of the fifth law (implications of five laws of library science)

(implications of five laws of library science)

• library and its services is a growing organism 

• library is an institution with the characteristics of an organism

  • takes in new matter

  • casts off old matter

  • changes in size

  • takes new shapes and forms

• library is a trinity of books, readers, and staff → it grows in all three ways

• library building should be maintained in a way that is easy to expand 

  • growth in the size of the collection 

  • growth in number of readers

  • growth in members of staff

•  ranganathan says the library can grow like a child or an adult

  • child’s growth - storage or repository library → grows in size and weight

  • adult’s growth - service library → grows in quality not quantity

growth in size (implications of the fifth law)

(implications of the fifth law)

• libraries grow in terms of reading material, requiring more space

library building (implications of the fifth law)

(implications of the fifth law)

• stack area

• circulation area

• reading room area

growth of readers (implications of the fifth law)

(implications of the fifth law)

• it affects the

  • size of the reading room

  • issue method

  • safeguards in an open access system

growth of staff (implications of the fifth law)

(implications of the fifth law)

• increase in staff is inevitable when there is growth in the library 

• library authorities should make provisions for the growth of library staff so they can fulfil their duties, including

  • book selection activity

  • cataloguing

  • binding

  • periodical section maintenance

  • reference section maintenance

• library authorities should provide qualified and well trained staff for the library

• should support the development and improvement of the work environment with the last technologies of the industry

1975 american interpretation (modern version of laws in different contexts)

(modern version of laws in different contexts)

• books are for use → tapes, films, records, relic and books are for use in the information delivery system

• every reader their book → every reader their medium

• every book its reader → to every tape, record, etc, its utility

• save the time of the reader → save the down time of the patron 

• library is a growing organism → a learning resources centre is a growing organism

james r retting devised a sixth law in 1992 (modern version of laws in different contexts)

(modern version of laws in different contexts)

• every reader his freedom

Jim Thompson’s revisions - 1992 (modern version of laws in different contexts)

(modern version of laws in different contexts)

• books are for profit

• every reader his bill

• every copy its reader

• take cash from the reader

• the library is a growing organism

Kuronen and Pekkarinen’s two supplementary (6th & 7th) laws (modern version of laws in different contexts)

(modern version of laws in different contexts)

• every reader their library

• every writer their contribution to library

Michael Gorman and Wait Crawford’s new five laws after focusing on the validity of the OG five laws - 1998 (modern version of laws in different contexts)

(modern version of laws in different contexts)

• libraries serve humanity

• respect all forms by which knowledge is communicated

• use technology intelligently to enhance services

• protect free access to knowledge

• honour the past and create the future

Alireza Noruzi’s modified laws to fit the web based on his paper - 2004 (modern version of laws in different contexts)

(modern version of laws in different contexts)

• web resources are for use

• every user their web resources

• every web resource its user

• save the time of the user

• the web is a growing organism

Carol Simpson’s revised laws for the field of media - 2008 (modern version of laws in different contexts)

(modern version of laws in different contexts)

• media are for use

• every patron their information 

• every medium its user

• save the time of the patron

• the library is a growing organism

five laws and modern libraries

• in automated libraries, OPAC fulfils all of the laws of library science 

  • can search the entire library collection

  • if the needed material is available

  • reserve a book

  • recommend a title to be purchased

  • renew a borrowed book

• WebOPAC offers all these features from any location at any time (as long as there’s an internet connection → library goes to the user instead of the user going to the library

• library networking brings together various libraries’ collections to form a union catalogue of resources