Five laws of library science

Five laws of library science
Five laws of library science
AuthorS. R. Ranganathan
LanguageEnglish
SeriesMadras Library Association Publication Series
Release number
2
SubjectLibrary science
GenreTheory
PublisherMadras Library Association
Publication date
1931
Publication placeIndia
Published in English
1931
Media typePrint
Pages520 pages

The five laws of library science is a theory that S. R. Ranganathan proposed in 1931, detailing the principles of operating a library system. Many librarians from around the world accept the laws as the foundations of their philosophy.

These laws, as presented in Ranganathan's The Five Laws of Library Science, are:

  1. Books are for use.
  2. Every person his or her book.
  3. Every book its reader.
  4. Save the time of the reader.
  5. A library is a growing organism.