[WEB4LIB] RE: Ranganathan - off-topic digression

[Norman Howden]

Trueswell's hypothesis has to do with the selection of books for storage/de-accessioning.  Basically if an item hasn't circulated in 7 years, it is likely to be so little in demand that it can be discarded or at least stored off site.


Norman Howden, PhD
Assistant Dean, Educational Resources
214-860-2176

>>> <Heidi.Yelk at courts.state.wi.us> 08/10/00 08:49AM >>>
I graduated from UW-Milwaukee in 1995 and Raganathan was indeed part of the
course work.  The Five Laws of Library Science were taught along with
another rule - my favorite - the 80/20 rule which seems to have a strange
hold on most aspects of our world.  I thought we called it Truswell's(sp?)
Rule but a quick search only finds "Pareto's Principle." ??
Books are for use!
Heidi

Heidi A. Yelk - Reference Librarian
Wisconsin State Law Library
608/261-7555
heidi.yelk at courts.state.wi.us 

-----Original Message-----
From: Julia Schult [mailto:jschult at elmira.edu] 
Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2000 8:24 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Ranganathan - off-topic digression



I asked our newest librarian, fresh out of SUNY Albany, if
she'd ever heard of Ranganathan, and her first thought was
that I was approaching her about a new religion.  ;-)  No,
they didn't cover him or as far as she remembers even
mention him in library school.

For anyone who is curious, see

http://www.uniroma1.it/Mathematics/I-Ranganathan.html 

He was a great librarian, and influenced the history of the
profession.  I think it is a shame if library schools are no
longer touching on his Five Laws of Library Science, which
can be found at:

http://www.ala.org/editions/openstacks/insidethecovers/insideexcerpts1A.html 

---Julia E. Schult
Access/Electronic Services Librarian
Elmira College
Jschult at elmira.edu