The Librarians Day and its significance

Delhi State Booksellers’ and Publishers’ Association (DSBPA), in association with Indian Library Association (ILA), has been celebrating Librarians day for the last many years. Librarians Day is celebrated every year on 12th August across India in Honour of Dr. S R Ranganathan for his contribution to Library Science.

The background…

Dr. S.R. Ranganathan is considered Father of Library Science in India, he was an Indian mathematician and librarian who was a pioneer in the field of library science, not only in India but globally. Born on August 12, 1892, in Sirkazhi, Tamil Nadu, Dr. Ranganathan began his career as a mathematics professor.

However, his life took a transformative turn when he was appointed as the first librarian of the University of Madras in 1924. During that period, libraries in India were largely static repositories of books, often inaccessible to the general public. Dr. Ranganathan sought to change this and in 1924, he went to the University College London to study librarianship under W. C. Berwick Sayers.

There, he was deeply influenced by the emerging scientific approach to library management and returned to India with a clear vision for modernizing the country’s library system.

His most celebrated contribution came in 1931 when he formulated the Five Laws of Library Science, which continue to serve as the foundation of library philosophy around the world, These Laws are: Books are for use; Every reader has his/her book; Every book has its reader; Save the time of the reader; and A library is a growing organism.

These laws emphasized service, accessibility, and the dynamic role of libraries in society.

The significance…

Dr. Ranganathan viewed libraries not just as warehouses of books but as living institutions meant to serve people of all backgrounds.Another significant innovation was the Colon Classification System, developed by Dr. Ranganathan in 1933. Unlike the rigid numerical systems like Dewey Decimal Classification, his method allowed for greater flexibility and specificity by using facets or “colon-separated” categories. This made it easier to classify interdisciplinary and complex subjects—something especially relevant in the growing fields of science and technology. He authored more than 60 books and 2,000 articles, covering topics from classification theory to digital information management. His lifelong mission was to promote universal access to knowledge, and he saw libraries as the essential vehicle for social and intellectual progress.

Dr. Ranganathan’s impact was so profound that August 12, his birth anniversary, is celebrated annually as Librarians’ Day in India, honoring his vision and dedication to the library profession.

DSBPA celebrates Librarians Day…

DSBPA celebrated Librarians Day in 2023 at India Habitat Centre in the presence of over 125 Librarians, Booksellers and Publishers. The event was a resounding success with overwhelming participation from delegates of Indian Library Association and DSBPA alike. The event afforded intellectual interaction and all the speakers on the dais delivered par excellence speeches. The programme started with a welcome speech by Himanshu Chawla, Immediate Past President, DSBPA, who was also the convenor for the entire programme. Chief Guest of the event was IAS,Mugdha Sinha, Joint Secretary Ministry of Culture, who was of the view “that the physical book is here to stay, and that she was closely associated with Libraries and strongly felt that the character of Libraries should be changed to attract readers”. She had overseen the work of transformation of a Library under her, and once the library was equipped with comfy sofas and the ambience of the library was modernized, the readers preferred to spend more time in the library. .

Prof.D.V. Singh Ex-Chief Librarian, University of Delhi, was the Chairman of the Panel Discussion. He narrated various true stories from the life of Dr. S. R. Ranganathan, appealing to the Librarians to maintain their libraries with the best literature and work tirelessly to keep their library up to date. While, Kartik Raj Kushvah, President, DSBPA said “I am indeed proud to be a part of the celebration of Librarian`s day which is being celebrated in association with ILA, We are all gathered here to strengthen the bond between the Publishers, Booksellers and Librarians, who are given the task of providing the best literature in the form of books and magazines to the reader. We all feel proud that our efforts put together, contribute to nation building by making India a knowledge economy.”

ILA Gen Secretary Dr. O.N. Chaubey reiterated that “Publishers, Booksellers and Librarians are two wheels of the same wagon” and “must work together to promote readership and book mindedness.” The Programme was concluded by a speech by Himanshu Chawla, Immediate Past President of DSBPA.

This year once again, the Librarians Day is being organized by DSBPA in association with ILA in the month of August.