The Five Laws of Library Science

Description

The works of the renowned Dr. Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan - considered the father of library science in India - cover certain facets of library and information science. These library science classics - reprinted by Ess Ess Publications - make Dr. S.R. Ranganathan's work available to the current generation of librarians. S. R. Ranganathan, considered by librarians all over the world to be the father of modern library science, proposed five laws of library science in the early 1930s. Most librarians worldwide accept them as the foundations of the philosophy of their work and service in the library. These laws are: Books are for use, Every reader his or her book, Every book its reader, Save the time of the reader, and The library is a growing organism. The Five Laws of Library Science are some of the most influential concepts in the field. Since they were published in 1931, these five laws "have remained a centerpiece of professional values..." (Rubin 2004). These basic theories of Library Science continue to directly impact the development of this discipline and the service of all libraries. [From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]. The book has been reprinted over twenty-five times to meet the demand from libraries, students of library and information science and information professionals. In 2006 when DLIST (University of Arizona) placed a test version of the contents page and first chapter of the first edition of the book on the Internet, there were some 640 downloads in twenty-four hours. The 'five laws' are equally valid in the present digital / information age as they have been in the conventional library environment. Title Page Dedication Contents Acknowledgements Preface Foreword Introduction Chapter I: The First Law Library Location Library Hours Library Furniture A Dialogue Library Staff Library Staff and Scholarship Library Staff and Professional Training Library Staff and Status Library Staff and their Responsibility Library Staff and Readers Library Staff and Psychology Library Staff and Personal Service Library Staff and Social Service Chapter II: The Second Law and its struggle The Classes and the Masses The Men and the Women The City-Folk and the Country-Folk The Normal and the Abnormal The Land and the Sea The Adult and the Child Chapter III: The Second Law and its Digvijaya America Mexico Central and South America A Lucky Alliance South Africa Europe Bulgaria Rumania Yugoslavia Hungary Czechoslovakia Poland Soviet Union of Russia Finland Norway Sweden Denmark Germany Italy France Belgium Holland UK Australia Japan Manchuria India Chap IV: The Second Law and its Implications The Obligations of the State Finance and Legislation A Departmental Conference Extracts form the Draft Public Library Bill Central Authority and Local Authority Scheme as to Powers and Duties Public Libraries Finance Acquisition, Appropriation and Alienation of Land Inspection, Returns, Reports, etc. Bye-Laws Co-ordination The Obligations of the Library Authority Choice of Books Choice of Staff The Obligations of the Library Staff The Obligations of the Readers Library Rules The Obligations of the Library Staff Reference Work Bibliography Reference Books Catalogue Chapter V: The Third Law The Open Access System Shelf Arrangement Catalogue Entries Reference Work Publicity Extension Work Book Selection Chapter VI: The Fourth Law Open Access vs Closed System Shelf-Arrangement Stack-Room Guides Catalogue Bibliography Reference Work Charging and Discharging Methods The Time of the Staff Central Cataloguing Library Location Chapter VII: The Fifth Law Growth in Size Books Stack-Room and Fittings Periodicals Room Catalogue Room Catalogue Shelf-Register Classification Scheme Readers and Issue of Books Reading Room Issue Method Even Floors Safeguards Staff Staff-Council The Spirit of the Hive Evolution Variety of Forms The Vital Principle Appendix: Specification for a Teakwood Book-Rack Index Back Cover