Editing Five laws of library science (section)

==Variants==

===The Law of Parsimony===
Ranganathan also wrote about what he called "The Law of Parsimony." According to this law, financial resources should generally not be allocated to books that have a limited audience.{{sfn|Ranganathan|1957|p=27}}

===By other individuals===
In 1998, [[Michael Gorman (librarian)|Michael Gorman]], a past president of the [[American Library Association]], recommended the following laws in addition to Ranganathan's five:

#Libraries serve humanity.
#Respect all forms by which knowledge is communicated.
#Use technology intelligently to enhance service.
#Protect free access to knowledge.
#Honor the past and create the future.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://librarysciencedegree.usc.edu/resources/infographics/dr-s-r-ranganathans-five-laws-of-library-science|title=Dr. S.R. Ranganathan's five laws of library science|date=n.d.|website=MMLIS blog|publisher=[[University of Southern California]]|access-date=27 February 2020|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018232339/https://librarysciencedegree.usc.edu/blog/dr-s-r-ranganathans-five-laws-of-library-science/|archive-date=18 October 2019}}</ref>

Gorman repeated these laws in Chapter 1 of his book ''Future Libraries: Dreams, Madness, & Realities'', which was co-written by [[Walt Crawford]], and in ''Our Singular Strengths: Meditations for Librarians.''{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}

In 2004, librarian Alireza Noruzi recommended the application of Ranganathan's laws to the [[World Wide Web|Web]]:

#Web resources are for use.
#Every user has his or her web resource.
#Every web resource its user.
#Save the time of the user.
#The Web is a growing organism.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Noruzi|first=Alireza|title=Application of Ranganathan's laws to the web|journal=Webology|volume=1|issue=2|date=December 2004|url=http://www.webology.org/2004/v1n2/a8.html|access-date=27 February 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503113920/https://www.webology.org/2004/v1n2/a8.html|archive-date=3 May 2020}}</ref>

In 2008, librarian Carol Simpson recommended the following edits to Ranganathan's laws to reflect the richness of media:

#Media are for use.
#Every patron his information.
#Every medium its user.
#Save the time of the patron.
#The library is a growing organism.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Simpson|first=Carol|title=Editor's notes: Five laws|journal=Library Media Connection|volume=26|issue=7|page=6|date=April–May 2008|url=http://www.carolsimpson.com/5laws.pdf|access-date=27 February 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829132353/http://www.carolsimpson.com/5laws.pdf|archive-date=29 August 2018}}</ref>

In 2016, Dr. Achala Munigal recommended the following edits to Ranganathan's laws due to the introduction and application of social tools in libraries:

# Social Media is for use – increasingly in libraries by librarians.
# Every user his or her Social Tool.
# Every Social Tool its user.
# Save time of user by providing information he or she seeks using the social tool he or she is familiar with.
# Social Media is a growing organism, with various tools and apps being introduced every day. Libraries are not brick and stone anymore. They serve members and non-members alike in terms of non-traditional library service, irrespective of space and time.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Munigal|first=A.|title=124th jayanthi sandharbanga: Grandhalaya tapsvi ranganathanku niwali|trans-title= |journal=Granthalaya Sarvasvam|pages=4–7|issn=0972-8104}}</ref>

In 2019, Basheerhamad Shadrach proposed the Five Laws of Knowledge, adapted from those of Ranganathan:

#Knowledge is for use in ''all'' forms.
#"Every citizen" has the right to access ''all'' forms of knowledge.
#Every knowledge [''sic''] is for access by ''all'' without discrimination of any kind.
#Save the time of ''all'' knowledge seekers.
#A knowledge system is one that evolves with time to achieve all of the above laws.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Shadrach|first=Basheerhamad|title=S R Ranganathan's five laws of library science: A foundation for democratising knowledge|journal=Informatics Studies|volume=6|issue=2|pages=33–36|date=April–June 2019|url=https://www.academia.edu/43587107|access-date=26 May 2021}}</ref>