ISSN (Print): 0972-2467 SRELS Journal of Information Management, Vol 52(1), February 2015, p. 3–23 ISSN (Online): 0976-2477 Reordering Ranganathan: Shifting User Behaviours, Shifting Priorities Lynn Silipigni Connaway* and Ixchel M. Faniel OCLC Research, OCLC, Dublin, Ohio, USA;
[email protected],
[email protected] Abstract S.R. Ranganathan’s Five Laws of Library Science provide a broad framework for designing and evaluating library programmes, activities and services. The laws continue to be extensively cited even today suggesting their continued revolution, currently available resources and services, and user behaviours. The idea has been to suggest how libraries andrelevance. librarians This can paper better attempts connect to to interpret those behaviours. the five laws After in examining the present the daychanging context roles of informationof the Five Laws abundance, on the basis digital of recommendations for realizing the intent of the laws have also been made. findings of recent research, the paper suggests reordering and reframing of the Five Laws of Library Science. A number of Keywords: Digital Environment, Five Laws of Library Science, Information Seeking Behaviour, Information Services, Web- Based Information Services. 1. Introduction Ranganathan, like Melville Dewey, came on the scene at a time when information was scarce; preserving library When Ranganathan proposed his Five Laws of Library collections was a major professional concern of librarians. Science, he came out with a comprehensive framework “Books are for use” was the driver. Dewey’s classification and guideline for evaluating library programmes, library system was essentially meant to help library users activities, and for formulating library policies and understand how to access materials.