Five Laws of Library Science: Dr. S. R.Ranganathan

The Five Laws of Library Science were enunciated in 1928 by the late Dr. S. R.Ranganathan, the Librarian of the University of Madras. Dr. Ranganathan, after, his education in librariainship in the University of London, School of Librarianship in 1924.

Five Laws of Library Science. These laws are:

1. Books are for use


2. Every reader his/her book


3. Every book its reader


4. Save the time of the reader


5. The library is a growing organism

Implications of the First Law

1. Location 


2. Library Hours 


3. Library Building and Furniture 


4. Staff

Implications of the Second Law

1. Obligation of the State 


2. Obligation of the Library Authority (Choice of Books, Choice of Staff, Obligations of the Staff)


3. Obligations of the Reader 


4. Resource Sharing 

Implications of the Third Law

1. Implications - Open Access 


2. Implications - Services (Lists of New Additions, Display of New Books, Book Exhibition)


3. Implications-The Library Catalogue

Implications of the Fourth Law

1. Implications -Open Access 


2. Implications - Classification and Cataloguing 


3. Implications - Charging System

Implications of the Fifth Law

1. Implications - Book Stock 


2. Implications - Readers.


3. Implications - Staff 


4. Implications - Classification and the Catalogue 


5. Implications - Modernisation 


6. Implications - Provision for- the Future


7. Implications - Weeding out of Books