It is an important really core to the students and scholars who are preparing for competitions like UGC NET in library science. Its historical significance is in making students and researchers skimming through foundational theories and innovative practice; it tells them about advancements in the field. This allows one to grasp vital concepts, such as classification systems, information retrieval, and digital libraries, better.
They can relate theory and practice better by studying the historical and current evolutions in library science, and improving the ability to analyze questions in a more critical and effective manner. Primarily this understanding is very important for getting success in examinations and heightening into academic and professional climbs in the information geekdom.
- Melvil Dewey (1851–1931)
Pioneer of the Dewey Decimal Classification system.
Wikipedia: Melvil Dewey
Personal Website: N/A - Paul Otlet (1868–1944)
Co-founder of the field of information science.
Wikipedia: Paul Otlet
Personal Website: N/A - S. R. Ranganathan (1892–1972)
Known as the father of library science in India; formulated the Five Laws of Library Science.
Wikipedia: S. R. Ranganathan
Personal Website: N/A - Eugene Garfield (1925–2017)
Founder of the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) and developer of citation indexing.
Wikipedia: Eugene Garfield
Personal Website: N/A - Karen Spärck Jones (1935–2007)
Known for contributions to information retrieval and natural language processing.
Wikipedia: Karen Spärck Jones
Personal Website: N/A - Michael Buckland (b. 1941)
Noted for work in library services and information management.
Wikipedia: Michael Buckland
Personal Website: Michael Buckland’s Homepage - Marcia J. Bates (b. 1942)
Renowned for research in information seeking behavior and user-centered design.
Wikipedia: Marcia J. Bates
Personal Website: Marcia J. Bates’ Homepage - Tefko Saracevic (1930–2020)
Known for work in information retrieval and human-computer interaction.
Wikipedia: Tefko Saracevic
Personal Website: N/A - Clifford Lynch (b. 1951)
Executive Director of the Coalition for Networked Information; contributions to digital libraries.
Wikipedia: Clifford Lynch
Personal Website: N/A - Barbara Tillett (b. 1946)
Expert in bibliographic control and cataloging; significant work with the Library of Congress.
Wikipedia: Barbara Tillett
Personal Website: N/A - Michael Gorman (b. 1941)
Former president of the American Library Association; known for work in cataloging and information ethics.
Wikipedia: Michael Gorman
Personal Website: N/A - Hope A. Olson (b. 1951)
Known for research in classification systems and feminist approaches to information organization.
Wikipedia: Hope A. Olson
Personal Website: N/A - Gary Marchionini (b. 1950)
Dean of the School of Information and Library Science at UNC-Chapel Hill; research in information retrieval.
Wikipedia: Gary Marchionini
Personal Website: N/A - Shifra Baruchson-Arbib (b. 1951)
Researcher in social information science and the impact of digital culture.
Wikipedia: Shifra Baruchson-Arbib
Personal Website: N/A - Wayne A. Wiegand (b. 1946)
Historian of American librarianship and print culture.
Wikipedia: Wayne A. Wiegand
Personal Website: N/A - Frederick Wilfrid Lancaster (1933–2013)
Pioneer in information retrieval and evaluation.
Wikipedia: Frederick Wilfrid Lancaster
Personal Website: N/A - Seymour Lubetzky (1898–2003)
Influential figure in cataloging theory and development.
Wikipedia: Seymour Lubetzky
Personal Website: N/A - Herbert S. White (1927–2014)
Noted for contributions to library management and education.
Wikipedia: Herbert S. White
Personal Website: N/A - Donald R. Swanson (1924–2009)
Known for work in literature-based discovery and information retrieval.
Wikipedia: Donald R. Swanson
Personal Website: N/A - Jesse H. Shera (1903–1982)
Significant contributions to library science education and information theory.
Wikipedia: Jesse H. Shera
Personal Website: N/A - Elaine Svenonius (b. 1937)
Expert in cataloging and classification theory.
Wikipedia: Elaine Svenonius
Personal Website: N/A - Brian Campbell Vickery (1918–2009)
Pioneer in information science and classification research.