In 1931,
Ranganathan proposed five laws of library science, there he stated in the fifth
law that “library is a growing organism” In this law, his focus was more on the
changes in the internal aspect of the library as an organisation rather than
the external or environmental factor of the library by stating that library
organizations need to accommodate growth in staff, the physical collection, and
patron use. This involved allowing for growth in the physical building, reading
areas, shelving, and in space for the catalogue. This means that a library should be a
continually changing institution, never static in its outlook. According to
him, there should be constant update of the books, methods, and the physical
structure and arrangement of the library (Leiter, 2003).
Ranganathan proposed five laws of library science, there he stated in the fifth
law that “library is a growing organism” In this law, his focus was more on the
changes in the internal aspect of the library as an organisation rather than
the external or environmental factor of the library by stating that library
organizations need to accommodate growth in staff, the physical collection, and
patron use. This involved allowing for growth in the physical building, reading
areas, shelving, and in space for the catalogue. This means that a library should be a
continually changing institution, never static in its outlook. According to
him, there should be constant update of the books, methods, and the physical
structure and arrangement of the library (Leiter, 2003).
Academic
libraries and its librarian have a lot to offer. Their expertise within the
field of information including retrieval skills, metadata, information and
knowledge management or even the familiarity of using criteria in order to
judge reliability and accuracy (in other words, the quality) of information is
an important professional tools. This classical theory offers a solid
philosophical ground for the academic library, empowering it to adapt itself to
change, encouraging it to offer its advances to scholar’s communities at the
digital era. This law gives the academic library the
opportunity and the duty to research itself and define new roles, more fitted
to this changing environment and its users. It is rare qualities and valuable
ones at the current information environment.
libraries and its librarian have a lot to offer. Their expertise within the
field of information including retrieval skills, metadata, information and
knowledge management or even the familiarity of using criteria in order to
judge reliability and accuracy (in other words, the quality) of information is
an important professional tools. This classical theory offers a solid
philosophical ground for the academic library, empowering it to adapt itself to
change, encouraging it to offer its advances to scholar’s communities at the
digital era. This law gives the academic library the
opportunity and the duty to research itself and define new roles, more fitted
to this changing environment and its users. It is rare qualities and valuable
ones at the current information environment.
Implementation
this spirit might assist not only coping better with disintermediation, but
with making the academic library organism expends and flourish for the benefit
of scholars, science and society. These changes can be summarised to be geared
towards impacting information literacy, digital collection development and new
contributions to the body of knowledge through repositories and/or
co-publishing of electronic journals in order to demonstrate the usability of
creativity and innovativeness in the way the library is operated (Case, 2008).
this spirit might assist not only coping better with disintermediation, but
with making the academic library organism expends and flourish for the benefit
of scholars, science and society. These changes can be summarised to be geared
towards impacting information literacy, digital collection development and new
contributions to the body of knowledge through repositories and/or
co-publishing of electronic journals in order to demonstrate the usability of
creativity and innovativeness in the way the library is operated (Case, 2008).
Ranganathan’s
choice of words can be meaningfully compared to Darwin’s evolution theory which
analyzes organisms. According to Darwin, evolution has no plan or purpose.
Primary differences between organisms are accidental, and those who happen to
be more adapted to their environment, survive and expand. However, sometimes
the environment changes at a quicker pace than the living organism can adapt
itself. In those cases the organism becomes extinct. If the library is the
organism as Ranganathan put it, it should be careful, for if it does not change
fast enough, it will become extinct (Darwin, 1996).
choice of words can be meaningfully compared to Darwin’s evolution theory which
analyzes organisms. According to Darwin, evolution has no plan or purpose.
Primary differences between organisms are accidental, and those who happen to
be more adapted to their environment, survive and expand. However, sometimes
the environment changes at a quicker pace than the living organism can adapt
itself. In those cases the organism becomes extinct. If the library is the
organism as Ranganathan put it, it should be careful, for if it does not change
fast enough, it will become extinct (Darwin, 1996).
This
law opens the options not only for direct mediation between the consumers and
the sources of information which is of course necessary, but also mediation
which ensures the success of the independent information activities by imparting
information literacy. By mediation that has involvement in creation and
preservation of quality information and academic knowledge for researchers in
the present and future through development of local digital projects. Another
direction is the field of publication. All can benefit from the librarian
heritage. Librarians have understanding and the experience in development of
collections. All are advances that can contribute to better retrieval, to
expending and deep the information sources available to the academic
communities and all others. These are mere examples, but they accurately
reflect the proactive approach necessary for the academic library in the new
environment, in general, and it’s coping with disintermediation, in particular Librarians
have real recognition of metadata importance and practical ways of implanting
it. They also have a close familiarity with academic knowledge, needs and
personnel (Mcmenemy, 2007).
law opens the options not only for direct mediation between the consumers and
the sources of information which is of course necessary, but also mediation
which ensures the success of the independent information activities by imparting
information literacy. By mediation that has involvement in creation and
preservation of quality information and academic knowledge for researchers in
the present and future through development of local digital projects. Another
direction is the field of publication. All can benefit from the librarian
heritage. Librarians have understanding and the experience in development of
collections. All are advances that can contribute to better retrieval, to
expending and deep the information sources available to the academic
communities and all others. These are mere examples, but they accurately
reflect the proactive approach necessary for the academic library in the new
environment, in general, and it’s coping with disintermediation, in particular Librarians
have real recognition of metadata importance and practical ways of implanting
it. They also have a close familiarity with academic knowledge, needs and
personnel (Mcmenemy, 2007).
The
role of preservation, in particular, is a classic role of libraries, as is the
development of unique local collections; the innovation here is in the
organization of the information in a database that allows search and retrieval
using rich metadata describes visual items that lack independent verbal
information. In terms of user accessibility, the challenge is developing a tool
for online browsing that able the user to discover, select and request desired
materials. Collaboration is a key word for other new roles the academic library
can define itself. A digital library, existing in the Internet is independent
of physical time or space, offers many opportunities for innovation beyond the
technological ones. Digital collection projects for instance, resulting from
local initiative, are a kind of enterprise allowing actual contribution on an
international level. Such collections, organized in a way that allows
information retrieval, contribute to the expansion of the human knowledge-base
while preserving its heritage and documenting it for the good of the public in
general, and researchers in particular (Nicholas et al., 2008).
role of preservation, in particular, is a classic role of libraries, as is the
development of unique local collections; the innovation here is in the
organization of the information in a database that allows search and retrieval
using rich metadata describes visual items that lack independent verbal
information. In terms of user accessibility, the challenge is developing a tool
for online browsing that able the user to discover, select and request desired
materials. Collaboration is a key word for other new roles the academic library
can define itself. A digital library, existing in the Internet is independent
of physical time or space, offers many opportunities for innovation beyond the
technological ones. Digital collection projects for instance, resulting from
local initiative, are a kind of enterprise allowing actual contribution on an
international level. Such collections, organized in a way that allows
information retrieval, contribute to the expansion of the human knowledge-base
while preserving its heritage and documenting it for the good of the public in
general, and researchers in particular (Nicholas et al., 2008).
The
opportunity is formed by the need to develop a computerized network
environment, capable of storing and providing access to full-text scientific
information to their consumers, a development that is the infrastructure for
repositories – those institutional or disciplinary archives of research
products. Another way of recreating the academic library is to take an active
part in the very heart of academic work – creation of knowledge – as a
distributor and publisher of new contributions to the body of knowledge,
whether through repositories or through co-publishing of electronic journals.
Academic libraries have always been part of the academic communication system,
but with the move to a digital environment came the opportunity and possibility
for even more substantial support – they “merely” have to accept the
challenge (Greer, et al., 2007).
opportunity is formed by the need to develop a computerized network
environment, capable of storing and providing access to full-text scientific
information to their consumers, a development that is the infrastructure for
repositories – those institutional or disciplinary archives of research
products. Another way of recreating the academic library is to take an active
part in the very heart of academic work – creation of knowledge – as a
distributor and publisher of new contributions to the body of knowledge,
whether through repositories or through co-publishing of electronic journals.
Academic libraries have always been part of the academic communication system,
but with the move to a digital environment came the opportunity and possibility
for even more substantial support – they “merely” have to accept the
challenge (Greer, et al., 2007).
In
this proposed law, libraries are encouraged not only to reclaim the role of
mediation, but also to expand its boundaries and define new goals and roles. In
other to survive as a growing organism, libraries have to embrace innovation
and creativity.
this proposed law, libraries are encouraged not only to reclaim the role of
mediation, but also to expand its boundaries and define new goals and roles. In
other to survive as a growing organism, libraries have to embrace innovation
and creativity.
References
Leiter,
R. A. (2003), “Reflections on Ranganathan’s ‘Five Laws of Library
Science’.” Law Library Journal ,Vol.95 , No.3, pp.411-418
R. A. (2003), “Reflections on Ranganathan’s ‘Five Laws of Library
Science’.” Law Library Journal ,Vol.95 , No.3, pp.411-418
Mcmenemy,
D. (2007), “Ranganathan’s Relevance In The 21st Century”, Library Review,
Vol. 56 No.2 ,pp.97-101
D. (2007), “Ranganathan’s Relevance In The 21st Century”, Library Review,
Vol. 56 No.2 ,pp.97-101
Nicholas,
D. et al. (2008). “Diversity in
the Information Seeking Behaviour of the Virtual Scholar: Institutional
Comparisons.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Vol. 33, No.
6, pp.629-638.
D. et al. (2008). “Diversity in
the Information Seeking Behaviour of the Virtual Scholar: Institutional
Comparisons.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship, Vol. 33, No.
6, pp.629-638.
Greer,
R.C, et al. (2007). Introduction
to the Library and Information Professions. Westport, Connecticut. London:
Libraries unlimited
R.C, et al. (2007). Introduction
to the Library and Information Professions. Westport, Connecticut. London:
Libraries unlimited
Case, M.
(2008). “Partners in Knowledge Creation: An Expanded Role for Research
Libraries in the Digital Future”, Journal of Library Administration,
Vol. 48, No.2, pp.141 — 156
(2008). “Partners in Knowledge Creation: An Expanded Role for Research
Libraries in the Digital Future”, Journal of Library Administration,
Vol. 48, No.2, pp.141 — 156
Darwin,
C. (1996). The origin of species ,Oxford : Oxford University Press
C. (1996). The origin of species ,Oxford : Oxford University Press
