Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan (1892–1972) was an Indian mathematician and librarian, regarded as the father of library science in India and one of the most influential thinkers in information organization.
Core ideas
- Five Laws of Library Science (1931): (1) Books are for use. (2) Every reader, their book. (3) Every book, its reader. (4) Save the time of the reader. (5) The library is a growing organism. These laws treat the library as a dynamic system oriented toward use, not a static collection.
- faceted classification: Ranganathan developed the Colon Classification (1933), based on the principle that any subject can be analyzed into independent facets — personality, matter, energy, space, time — that combine to describe complex topics. This approach influenced all subsequent classification theory (Ranganathan, 1967).
- Classification as analysis: rather than assigning items to pre-made categories, faceted classification analyzes the item and synthesizes a classification from its component facets.
Notable works
- The Five Laws of Library Science (1931)
- Prolegomena to Library Classification (1937; 3rd ed. 1967)
- Colon Classification (1933; 7th ed. 1987)
Related
- faceted classification — his central contribution to classification theory
- controlled vocabulary — related organizational practice
Ranganathan, S. R. (1967). Prolegomena to Library Classification (3rd ed.). Asia Publishing House.