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Unit 1: Introduction to Library Science

20th Century Notes
In the English speaking world the term “library science” seems to have been used for the first time
in a book in 1916 in the “Panjab Library Primer” written by Asa Don Dickinson and published by
the University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. This university was the first in Asia to begin teaching
‘library science’. The “Punjab Library Primer” was the first textbook on library science published in
English anywhere in the world.

The first textbook in the United States was the “Manual of Library Economy” which
was published in 1929.

Later, the term was used in the title of S. R. Ranganathan’s The Five Laws of Library Science, published
in 1931, and in the title of Lee Pierce Butler’s 1933 book, An introduction to library science (University
of Chicago Press).
Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan was a mathematician and librarian from India. His most notable
contributions to the field were his five laws of library science and the development of the first major
analytico-synthetic classification system, the colon classification. He is considered to be the father
of library science, documentation, and information science in India and is widely known throughout
the rest of the world for his fundamental thinking in the field.
In more recent years, with the growth of digital technology, the field has been greatly influenced by
information science concepts. Although a basic understanding is critical to both library research
and practical work, the area of information science has remained largely distinct both in training
and in research interests.

1.1.2 Education and Training

Academic courses in library science include collection management, information systems and
technology, research methods, cataloging and classification, preservation, reference, statistics and
management. Library science is constantly evolving, incorporating new topics like database
management, information architecture and knowledge management, among others.
Most professional library jobs require a professional post-baccalaureate degree in library science,
or one of its equivalent terms, library and information science as a basic credential. In the United
States and Canada the certification usually comes from a master’s degree granted by an ALA-
accredited institution, so even non-scholarly librarians have an originally academic background. In
the United Kingdom, however, there have been moves to broaden the entry requirements to
professional library posts, such that qualifications in, or experience of, a number of other disciplines
have become more acceptable. In Australia, a number of institutions offer degrees accepted by the
ALIA (Australian Library and Information Association).

1.2 Librarians in Different Types of Libraries

Public

The study of librarianship for public libraries covers issues such as cataloging; collection development
for a diverse community; information literacy; readers’ advisory; community standards; public
services-focused librarianship; serving a diverse community of adults, children, and teens; intellectual
freedom; censorship; and legal and budgeting issues. The public library as a commons or public
sphere based on the work of Jürgen Habermas has become a central metaphor in the 21st century.

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 3