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Foundation of Library and Information Science

Notes Gorman later expanded on these theories with his Five New Laws of Librarianship:
1. Libraries serve humanity: This law covers the assistance of individuals and implies a
desire to provide a quality service which exceeds the user’s expectations.
2. Respect all forms by which knowledge is communicated: Gorman advocates the use of
various forms of knowledge and information.
3. Use technology intelligently to enhance service librarians: Gorman suggests that librarians
embrace technological advances, although print-on-paper remains the primary medium
for the communication of knowledge. Technology should be utilized to improve services,
solve problems, and achieve cost-effectiveness.
4. Protect free access to knowledge: Allowing the records of the past to disappear is a form of
censorship, which goes against a librarian’s belief and job description.
5. Honour the past and create the future: Gorman advocates the need to balance nostalgia for
a pre-digital past with the need to embrace new technologies if they greatly enhance the
library service.

The basic components of a library are (i) the book stock, (ii) the staff, (iii) the readers, and (iv) the
physical infrastructure, i.e., the building, furniture and equipment. When we say that a library
grows, what we mean is that each of these components grows.

2.6.1 Implications – Book Stock

Let us first examine the implications of the growth of book collection. In the initial stages, the
growth of the book stock including periodicals would be fast. This has its impact on the sizes of
the stack room, the catalogue cabinet and the catalogue room and the number of racks for
accommodating books. All these will necessarily have to grow in number and/or in physical
dimensions. Also, as the book stock grows and the newly added books are interpolated in the
classified arrangement, there will be constant movement of books on the shelves. This would
necessitate relabeling of shelves periodically. The stack room guides also will need to be
periodically replaced by new ones to indicate the correct position of the changed arrangement
of books.

2.6.2 Implications – Readers

The readers of the library are also bound to grow especially in a library that functions in
keeping with the spirit of the first law of library science. This means that more space will be
required.

2.6.3 Implications – Staff

Corresponding to the increase in book collection and the number of readers, new services will
have to be introduced. Depending on the nature and interests of readers, the services will also
have to be diversified. The reference service will have to be intensified. New information
services backed by modern technology will have to be introduced. There will be a quantitative
increase in administrative work and services and a qualitative diversification of services. These
would necessitate an increase of staff at different levels both in the quantitative and qualitative
sense.

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