Challenges of Selection and Acquisition of Grey Literature in Libraries

Challenges of Selection and Acquisition of Grey Literature in Libraries

Abstract of Challenges of Selection and Acquisition of Grey Literature in Libraries

Most librarians has been selecting and acquiring library materials, including the unpublished literatures without knowing the terms generally used for them.
this research project therefore has been carried out to create awareness to some librarians and staff of the library on what we called “grey literature”. This term is not familiar with most librarians but this project will educated them on the term.
The research work (project) is based on the polytechnics requirement of the award of Higher National Diploma (HND), it is therefore critically examined and carefully studied the above topic.
This project covers all one needs to know about grey literature, its meaning, its characteristics, advantages and role, its types, its acquisition channels, its cataloguing procedure, and challenges encountered in its acquisition.
Librarianship students will also find this work very useful because it will help to widen their knowledge horizon in using library terms.

Chapter One of Challenges of Selection and Acquisition of Grey Literature in Libraries

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Selection and acquisition are terms used in provision of library materials.
Selection is the process of choosing while acquisition is the process of obtaining library materials (Anyanwu, et al, 2006) selection must precede acquisition, what to select depends on the type of library since the library is interested in serving primarily its clientese which could be homogenous or heterogeneous (Oduagwu, 2002). Book selection is used as a generic term covering the selection of both book and non-book materials for library.
Acquisition on the other hand is a process of obtaining books and other items for the library, documentation centre, or archives (Harrods, 2000). Acquisition is carried out through purchase, gift, exchange and legal deposit.
Provision of current information which supports the curriculum of the parent institution is as a result of selection and acquisition in the academic libraries.
The following factors are considered in selecting materials for academic libraries,
i. Aims and objective of the institution
ii. The number of faculty members
iii. The number of departments / subjects areas
iv. Research and teaching needs
v. The nature of materials required in terms of book and non-book.
There is a specific library acquisition policy which specify the type and range of items to be selected and acquired. The purpose of the acquisition policy is to serve as a reference for the library staff to follow when assessing potential acquisition for the library collections including print and non-print materials, electronic and other type of resources. The mission of the acquisition policy is to ensure that the selection of library resources supports the educational need of the students, administrations and staff of the institution.
Anyanwum et al, 2006 Started that selection is of very important because of literature explosion, reduction in library budget, reduction in income of library users and pressure from the both the publishers and the library users.
Grey literature is one of the materials selected and acquired in Libraries.
Grey literature is defined as…”information produced on all levels of government, academia, business and industry in electronic and print formats not controlled by commercial publishing” i.e. where publishing is not the primary activity of the producing body”
M. C. Debachere has written that it is easier to describe, rather than define grey literature. Collectively, the term covers an extensive range of materials that can be found easily through conventional channels such as publishers, “but which frequently is original and usually recent”
Peter Hirtle in Broadsides Vs. Grey literature defines is as: The quasi-printed reports, unpublished but circulated papers, unpublished proceedings of conferences, printed programs from conferences and other non-unique materials which seems to constitute the bulk of our modern manuscript collections (Hirtle, 1991). Dissertations also make up an important part of grey literature, as well as meeting papers” or preprints that are given out before conferences and meetings, and they could end up as journal articles (Augur 1989, 63).
Grey literature is of paramount importance in the library because, it serves scholars and lay readers alike with research summaries, facts, statistics, and other data that after a more comprehensive view of the topic of interest.
In all, selection and acquisition of grey literature in libraries therefore, is the process of choosing and obtaining this kind of literature in libraries.