TRAVELLING LIBRARY [A DREAM OF 1929 (See p 324) The Five Laws of Library Science SR RANGANATHAN MADRAS ‘THE MADRAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION LONDON: BLUNT AND SONS, LTD. 1987Madras Library Association Poblicstion Series, 23 ‘THE FIVE LAWS OF LIBRARY SCIENCE. SR Ravoanariyfo CONTENTS cur Paar Forrwano ay Six P'S SwAswaw AtreR 11 Tiemmoovcrion By Mk WC Renwick Savens 13 © Gnas . 9 2 Bist Eaperince OF baton Uy et Son 1 Fast Law. 7 26 12 NevastottheLin 168 Diop 2 Stcono Law AND Is Stauoots 0 2 Mie Hee and che 3 Te At theca 2 The CaF ad the ‘Count Fa 3. Secon Law ano Ins Digyiya (World Conquest) 138, 4 Secon Law Axo Irs Inicanoss a 180 {2 Savery Ac ‘thoy 4 Union Libary het Oboe Libary Stat 44 Len Stem 48 Calin ofthe Reneeer our Phar : > Twp Law 258 @ eeremaunat gait wie | 40 Emunaton 55 Poptr Departments feat ae care a ged a a, SiGe Remsen 3 nly eee a Scion" 58 bout seecuon 34 Reto Sere To carry knowledg® tothe doors of those that lack it and ee eee Set area tere See eee 7 Fem Law 36 ‘SAVE THE TMG OF THE READER 73 Gusiestion Shame 77 Wl Pcie Pane are ee eee 4 8 Sciperine Memo, Linany ScINcE, AND Mancit oF Dioviaya oS retin SE Marcher Dison APPINDIC 1 Speciation for Unit Book-Rack eure acrit goad ey | sem are oF wea: e¥ eT weet ond aia Beale ty ae: ex Ferg ee aell or ae ‘Avrewix 2 Speication for Periods Table Urikiionainnsot -iliiscaiias \FOREWORD TO THE FIRST EDITION THE library movement is of comparatively recent origin in western countries and the result of demosratic influences hich obtained an ascendancy towards the end of the last century. The desire to extend the beehitsof faring tothe peopl at large suggested the foundation of numerous public Hbraies. The possiblities of lita as instruments of popu ‘education have eve since occupied the attention of those Jterested inthis movement. Much thought hasbeen given in recent years to the best methods of populrsng the use of rai. “The vas increase in the number of books published year after year and inthe additions made fo brates has given Fie ta ae crop of questions reading the organisation, ami nistration and management of iar, Me's ouook in re ‘ard to these matters has undergone radical change, Libraries fre now regarded not as precious possessions tobe jelous reserved from the intrusion ofthe vulgar, but a democrat institutions forthe profit and enjoyment ofall How to a tract readers to iares, how to extend to all cases the facilities for wsing them, how to render the maximum amount ‘Of help to those who dese to we ibraies and how to se ‘the time of the readers and the library staff alike are questions hic, simple ws they may seem, demand no litle though, Jmaginaton, skill and experience from the Ubraran ‘A large mats of iteratre has grown up about this subject. Library Associations have been farted in many counties, “chairs have been founded in Several Universities forthe teach ing of library management and numbers of library journals Ihave come into existence. Attempts have been made io syse> ‘atize the knowledge on this subject and ity now aimed ‘hat ithasataind the status ofa science. Whether the ong alstion and management of libraries to be regarded 4 ¢ Science or as an art, itis needles to consider. There can be "o doubt, however, that there ae certain essential principles "sndeiyng the management of bares scoring to present= ‘ty nots nd cone “The author ofthis book has sought to expound these prin- ciples in a systematic form. He hasbeen able to rede them ‘five cardinal principles and has developed all the rules of irary organisation and management asthe necessary impli tations and inevitable corollaries of his five las, Once the laws have been stated, they appear so obvious that one won ders that they were nol clearly relied and worked out befor. Mr, Rengaoathan’s treatment of the subj is clea, logical ‘nd ocd, He hat broupht to his ask extensive knowedg> of the literature on the subject of libraries, personal scqusint- sce withthe methods of management of raisin Beitain, {tained analytical intellect and a fevid but enlightened ‘ashusiasm forthe library movement. He has been the pioneer ‘fhe brary movement in the Madrat Presidency and has teen carjing on am energetic propaganda to spread it He {nows how to rouse and sustain the interest ofthe reader and as produced very attractive and readable book. Thave no doubt it wll mest with Wide appreciation and soon come to ‘be recognised a a standard-text book of Library Seience “The Madras University fortunate in posssting the author ts ie ibraian. Is library bas developed in his ands ato a ‘ve human iastution, which aims ata belpil personal touch teeween the a and the reders who use the ibrar. The enormous increase inthe sue of volumes ince the author tok Charge of the library i striking testimony to the soundaess ‘sf the principles on which it has been ran and to the efcency Of hie management ia spite of the very defective housing ‘onditons under which the library has been working “The publication ofthis book by the Madras Library Aston ciation is not the least of ie claims € te gratitude ofthe publi PS, Swaswaner Aram INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRST EDITION ‘Tit18 is one ofthe most interesting books that Ihave readin recent years upon ou pofesin. His unig, {believe in that i atempys forthe st time a comprehensive survey by a Traian who has a peculielyLedian mind, and ete his ‘owa racial culture on the sic theories of the art of book ‘istribution asi is understood inthe modern library weld ‘To those who are new to our Work i may be a wonder that 50 much can be made out of what superfoally appear to be 0 simple a era, Buta perusal of MP- Ranganathan's pees ‘ill ake the beginner along way along the path of enlighten: Mr. Rangsnathan,is unusually equipped for his under: faking. Tis now several yeat sine he ples himself for a hile under the direction of the lecturers and teachers of the University of London School of Librarianship, and he bee ‘ame particularly astocated with me.I found that he wat ‘man of considerable culture, very origina a his outlook, pet- sistent and undeviating inhi investigation, and wisly Eves {o considering any suggestions that might be made to hin, [Not only did he attend the lectures in librarianship at the Univesity of Landon, he made an intensive study of library ‘work of all ype by vist to irae in various parts ofthe ‘country For sometime he studied every day inthe Croydon Public Libraries, where I watched his work with interes He ‘xamined the process of every department, and spent much time considering and ciczing the various procestes. All the ‘ay through he was seeking the reasoning that lies a he back “ofall our doings. [Not only was he interested in books and libraries, he spent Some of his leisure in examining the eeational methods in the schools of the towns, and their relaonship to ibrares. His etcal outlook went sofa that he even stated on a pew a‘lassifcation of books. This ache tle win a Tater part of this volume, is employed in the University Library at Madre tnd in afew other Indian libraries which are beponing slasfy their books Such a course of study and such an atte of mind could ot fail to produce a type of libarinn whose work Would be of importance. The work before ue proot of thi ‘The practice of librarianship long preceded the formulation fany laws whatsoever. In all cas this es of course. Tt ‘s only slowly and from the continuous experienc of workers fata theory can be deduced and given sitement, Ours ‘ay claim fo be, however, one of the oldest crafts i te orld, and some of the quite ordinary prceses which have ow been brought to such perfection that MF. Ranganaton is able to formulate their revue as laws,” existed ig ribo: form in the Assyrian libres and probably i euler once The clay tablet catalogues in the Brith Moscum prone to vs that there were then not only libraries, but sytematie vary sie. In ater but sil aly yeas the work of such lirarias as Callimachus in the libraries of the Pharaoh stows methods of management, especialy inthe clasifeation ‘of books, that are the wonder of moder librarians who have ‘ansidered them Every great nation in the past hat had its publi libraries, ‘7 if thee use was sometimes limited fo specal clases of tte community, and in the general anarchy of European silsaion which followed the fall of the Western Rowan Enpire the monasteries stil preserved and added t0 their Hire, Libary history was largely infeed by this mona pre- servation of books, because for centuries rai ware iit ed to colle and fo otber protected buildings, and thet aso ‘trite tothe inhabitants ofthese institutions, To peeve the book was of as much and even of more consequence thaw ‘oget it used. Tha sprit bas been pasting away ace ake mide ofthe winteh seu. The grt nes ofthe tri, with varying degree of gtaroiy, have been hvown ‘pen io external reader andthe tude of the comer has given place o wat Ihave vented to cal ekewhere the ple of books asthe ah description ofthe Harn. “The rtp factor inthe modern sttade towacdiba= ‘it and Books has been what are Known in Engand ad ‘Ameria at" pi libraries This em today has quite a sierent meaning fom what had before 1850. Then public Iirares were publica much the seen which the public school of England se publi that to sy. they were limi ‘ain thelr we very largely fo te, ning is, The ‘modern publi rary is mil nso supported by towns forthe ree we ofthe inns without dcrnaaion “They were AngloSsuon sn thi origin, and came nto being at sbut the ame tine in Great Brain and inthe United States. Ths irre have now been Blt up with speci tesnigu oft own, wth in many cae, vy large tock ‘of books and itera. millon of readers One of the mos sigicat socal factors of the last fall ofthe nineteenth and theft quarter of the twentieth centr ‘es hasbeen the widerprend development the reading Habit amongst wesc people. Even he more comeraie tations of Earope have ow developed sem of Moai: toro sn the Ang Seton model “The modern view, then, of libraries is that which regards all the population as ie lintel. Even in university and researc lbraris facilities are now given to serious students without difculy almost everywhere. This is the atitude hich the brarian in Inia wl, hope ap believe, make his ‘own, It must be quit lear, however, that univers rules oF ‘notions must always be given a local and individual applica tion, I donot thik the library methods of America, much as admire them, ate root and branch suitable or Europe © ven for England. The piychology of the people varies, and s‘arians in tbraty practice most be made to meet thie fc. ven more amongst the peoples of Indi, with thei immense History, powerful traditions, and distinctive racial qualitien the application of merely Anglo-Saxon ideas to a thing o> Fnimate, personal and spciual as lierature, without mod. feation, may not be wise T have had many foreign sudente in the hibrares under my care, and T have always ted ton, ‘ess upon them tht what hey learn From us should shay be ‘onsidered carefully inthe light ofthe neadsof thet om hone ‘counties. 1 feel that this is immensely important to nda ‘This, to my mind, gives its special value to Me. Ranes: than’s work, He deals with ll the questions which exerene tie minds of European librarians. Book selection, wilh ‘atholc mind which has determined that all side shall be Iard, and that no personal preference shall hve und in Airence; the best methods of brary furnishing and eauip- ment: a considered statement of what can be done by the ctalogue and ty the elisication: these will be ebviows to the reader, He writs, t00, a8 an educatonstay all good livaians should—and I hope he bas made quite clear hat the development of a lterate gation, witha ful love fori peat literature and right understanding of the value of books, mus begin with considered and generous pov for alilden In the West every child i a potential reader: it must be 10 im the Eas, even in places where the children have sot pet had ‘Fportoites to do much reading oto get acess books A wise American librarian once remarked to meth ‘of wood with a book at one end anda librarian at another would make a perfect library. That was a pictureaqoe ag. -ention, of course, but itis the personal element tht the librarian brings into the Wbrary which gives it its waiye Many Hbrais, als, Ick vitality they have staf, but mo ‘ibvarians: The spirit of the real Hbravian has never been ‘mete beautifully oF wisely shown than in Austin Dobson's 6 ta meray eh ane ‘The implications of this ae profound enough t humble the most aecomplished libraran. implies that the tbr ‘must be a man of acquisitive mind who closes his mind to m0 subject of human interest. He is always learner he must always be awake to and welcome every development of ‘human thought and evry adventure ofthe human spi. Me ‘mst, however, be aman educated not only inthe general Sense but in every operation and process of libraries. He ‘must be a lover of other men, When young people come to fe as aspirants for library work [ask them, Bo you Tove books?” They invariably reply that they do, but Task them next," Do you like people and serving people ‘that in India there are men who now have taken in hand the ‘hoosing and traning of librarians. What the country hols in the way of libraries ¥ do not know fully, but with ts great teratures, in so many forms, there are no doubt many fils ‘of research and many library possblies as yet undreamed ‘of even by the Indian hime Here, then, isa book that may be an inspiration to all ‘hose who, in higher oc humbler oe, wil se Indie i het trates. Concelved in a broud, ungradging spr, it must enthuse those who enter upon our preston in that county With the immense, if sometimes undramate, possibilties of & Hibrary. 1 will show ito be not merely a coletion of books Which accumulates age and dust, but living and growing Crganism prolonging hele ofthe past and renewing it for {bis generation, but giving also to this generation the bes that ‘own workers thinker and dreamers have to offer, W.C. Bexwick SavIR, ‘his Lari Crp Let cnn tof vn 7CHAPTER 0 GENESIS; 1 Enrance int Library Profesion IW July 1923, the Univesity of Madras erated the post of Univesity Librarian. tn November, Hwas appointed it fint bravia. Iwas ten teaching mathematics in the Presidency College, Madras, one of the constituent collegs of the Uni ‘ersiy- started work as ibaian inthe afternoon of Tuts ay, 4 January 1924. In the fst few weeks there wis hardly anything to do. 1 felt bored; and | very much wished {0 go back tothe college, But fiends advised me not to be Jnasty. F occupied myself with the eatlopuing of hundreds books Iying in a heap. The sumber of readers ising the ibrary seldom exceeded a dozen i day (2 First Experience 1M October 1924, joined the School of Librarianship in the University Coles, London, Ite library was fairly ex: ‘boustive, though small. Ie didnot take more than «couple of ‘Months to sted its books. After this theoretical equipment | picked up some practical experience by working the {Croydon Public Libraties for about six wecks, During the Dek ‘six months, visited about a hundred Hbrries of iferent kinds. The librarians gave me fll freedom o observe, to pt estions and to discuss, This was the frat experience M was rich experience 05 Library Trends Libraries were found to bein diferent stages of develon- ‘ent. This facilitated a comparative study of library prac 2%. The forward trends were impressive. But, the lines of evelopment inthe diferent sectors of library practice ape eared unrelated. Discussion with those working in the 90) FIVELLAWS OF LipRaRY seteNce diferent sectors ed tothe impression that each was working in is own sector without much of contactor correlation with other sectors. Even those working in the same sector did not show much evidence of tem-vork. Thete was no evidence of an oral view. All these facto ended to hie the common Point of emergence of the trends in the diferent sectors Consequently, what could Be som'vas only sn aggregate of sverse practices without an integral relation. 1 looked as i Future developments were totally unpredicible, Kall appeared to be a matter of rule of thumb, and severely empiri (4 Sciemie Method Prior experince in siete sty and pursuit induced & sense of revolt against having 0 ho in memory and eal dith myriads of uneted piss of aforation tnd ioe dependent ips of practns, Cannot all thse empirical a {fees of information an prac be edeed to 8 hand fal or bse prinips? Canto the prose of Induction be applied in this ease? Cannot ll the Known pacts be got By the proces of deduction oat of the are primes? Do 101 the basic principles consi, at eensry implationy ‘any other practices ot cen or korn pes? Wl they not become neces, stand when the Bodary condi fons se by society change? Such questions Began to simmer inthe mind. Twas, no doubt, tine thatthe sujet of Sdy toned the fd of soc sciences and ot toe of Iara seeps. Bu scetie method was apple equally in both‘. The only erence ay i te satus the Tose principe. Those were hypotheses in the natal sek ‘25 and normative pine Inthe soil scenes Bat the face of sealife method as sma in both ese ‘The |