Discuss the relevance of Five Laws of Library Science in the context of changing information environment.

 The father of library science in India propounded the five laws of library science in 1931. The first law is that books are for use. It is imperative to ensure library patrons use the materials we select and purchase for them. Libraries are not just about storing books, they are about people having access to books. This is something Ranganathan made clear in his own discussion of the first law. His talks and writings emphasize the preservation of information and knowledge to be as important as access to information and knowledge. Undoubtedly, both preservation and access are important, and the availability of digital technologies that Dr. Ranganathan could only have dreamt of have a vital role to play in preservation and access.

The Five laws of library science is a theory proposed by S. R. Ranganathan in 1931, detailing the principles of operating a library system. Many librarians worldwide accept them as the foundations of their philosophy.

These laws are: 

•   Books are for use. 
•   Every reader his / her book. 
•   Every book its reader. 
•   Save the time of the reader. 
•   The library is a growing organism.   

These are fundamental laws of library science, which provide the rationale for a unifying theory of library science. With the help of these, we can derive postulates, canons and principles applicable in different fields of Library and Information Science (LIS). These also provide guidance in the practice of Library and Information Science. The 24 words of the Laws provided an intellectual framework for understanding all aspects of library work. The laws have been useful in the teaching of different branches of LIS. These are more than mere generalities because they are founded on observation and analysis.

According to Bhattacharya ‘these five laws constitute a fundamental contribution to the development of library science, documentation and information science. They are fundamental because they are relevant in relation to the past of these disciplines; they are relevant in relation to the present day developments, and they will continue to be so in relation to their future development’  

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