S.R. Ranganathan’s work transformed librarianship in India and beyond, supporting improved public literacy and championing community‑led practice through his influential Five Laws of Library Science.

In 1924, Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan or S.R. Ranganathan (1892-1972) took on the role of Librarian at the University of Madras, for the extra pay after years of working as a mathematics lecturer. He soon regretted it. “I can’t bear the solitary imprisonment day-after-day”, he told the University Principal and begged to return to teaching. The principal promised to keep his teaching post open until he had completed library training. 

In September of that year, Ranganathan travelled to London to take a course at the University School of Librarianship (now the UCL Department of Information Studies). 

His tutor, W. C. Berwick Sayers, taught him the basics of classification and encouraged Ranganathan to visit public libraries across England. The nine months he spent at UCL changed his life, instilling in him the belief that libraries should be for everyone. 

On his return to Madras, he embarked on a decades-long revolution in Indian librarianship, supporting improved literacy across the country. He championed public libraries and the library profession and introduced the first bullock cart library service to bring books to villages in Tanjore. 

Ranganathan’s beliefs in the public good of libraries led to his Five Laws of Library Science: 

Books are for use.
Every person has his or her book.
Every book has its reader.
Save the time of the reader.
A library is a growing organism.

S.R. Ranganathan, The Five Laws of Library Science (Madras Library Association, 1931)

Following India’s independence in 1947, he took on an even larger role, supporting the development of the Indian public library system, initiating professional training, and developing an important classification system.  

Ranganathan worked tirelessly - it is said he took no vacations while librarian at the University of Madras, with the sole exception of his wedding. His wife Sarada was very supportive, and, in 1957, the couple donated money for a professorship in library science in her name.  

From a reluctant librarian to the ‘Father of Library Science’, Ranganathan’s work has had a lasting global impact - guiding libraries to better support their communities and still inspiring many librarians today. 

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