Reordering Ranganathan: Shifting User Behaviours, Shifting Priorities, An OCLC Research Report

By Lynn Silipigni Connaway and Ixchel M. Faniel, SRELS Journal of Information Management, Vol 52(1) | February 2015, p. 3–23:

Abridged version of: Connaway, Lynn Silipigni, and Ixchel M. Faniel. 2014. Reordering Ranganathan: Shifting User Behaviors, Shifting Priorities. Dublin, OH: OCLC Research.

Reordering Ranganathan: Shifting User Behaviors, Shifting Priorities: An OCLC Research Report by: Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Ph.D., and Ixchel Faniel, Ph.D.

This report suggests that Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan's Five Laws of Library Science can be reordered and reinterpreted to reflect today's library resources and services, as well as the behaviors that people demonstrate when engaging with them.

Key highlights of the Report:

• Today's library users challenge librarians to move from the simple declaration of "save the time of the reader"; meeting today's users' needs requires embedding library systems and services into their existing workflows
• Our modern-day rephrasing of "every person his or her book" is know your community and its needs
• The core meaning of "books are for use" is still about access; however, our interpretation focuses on developing the physical and technical infrastructure needed to deliver materials
• Our interpretation of "every book its reader" focuses on increasing the discoverability, access and use of resources within users’ existing workflows
• We agree that "a library is a growing organism" and propose growing users' share of attention -- continue reading: An OCLC Research Report

Similar links:

• Taher, M. (2022). Are There Inclusive, Accessible Reference Tools for the Post-Pandemic Era?: Exploring Literacy Resources to Teach Social Justice Through Community Engagement. In Handbook of Research on the Role of Libraries, Archives, and Museums in Achieving Civic Engagement and Social Justice in Smart Cities (pp. 16-54). IGI Global.

• Taher, M. (2021). Dr. S. R. Ranganathan’s Five Laws and its Influence in Libraries, Archives, and Museums. https://sites.google.com/site/akbanis/relevance-of-dr-sr-ranganathans-five-laws-in-the-21st-century    

• Taher, M. (2022), Five Laws of Peace & Tolerance for civic engagement (Implication for digital literacy with examples for breaking stereotypes for sensitivity and care),   https://sites.google.com/site/akbanis/five-laws-of-peace-tolerance-for-civic-engagement