Challenges of Selection and Acquisition of Grey Literature in Nigerian Libraries

Challenges of Selection and Acquisition of Grey Literature in Nigerian Libraries

Chapter One of Challenges of Selection and Acquisition of Grey Literature in Nigerian 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.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE TWO SCHOOLS UNDER STUDY

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, OWERRI (FUTO) LIBRARY.

According to the FUTO library guide and regulations, the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) library was initially located at lake Nwaebere campus as a temporary site while the permanent library was under construction at Ihiagwa. The preparatory work for the library began in June 1981 with J. C. Anafulu as the pioneer University Librarian. A classroom block was selected and converted into a make-shift library.  It was filled with shelves for ten (10) thousand volumes of library materials. Other members of the professional staff joined in October to prepare for the opening on the 19th November 1981. at the time of the opening, approximately 2,500 volumes were on the shelves. However, the importance of journals to the science and technology oriented University community was re-organised at an early stage and a list of about 600 tittles were ordered for. In the month of May, 1982, the reserved collections was introduced, the total volume of books held by the library reached six thousands (600), and borrowing privileges were then extended to students. After two years of operating in classroom blocks, the University library was moved to a permanent building in the first week of September, 1983. the building was modified to meet the requirements of a growing university library. On the 17th of May, 1983, the Library moved along with the university to its permanent site. On arrival, the pilot plant house of the school of science was immediately converted to a library. In no time it was realised that the building was too small to accommodate the ever-increasing stock, staff and library users. As such, the library moved partly to the library phase IV in 1995, thereby making available two library building fo use: Pilot plant and phase IV library building. The Pilot Plant Library building. The pilot plant library was left within serials section, technical section for catalogue and classification, acquisition section, the information technology unit, documentation and Archives section. The pilot plant library is regarded as reference library s no borrowing is done there. The library phase IV which was originally intended to be a reading room is centrally situated at a convenient distance from the Hostels. The organogram of the library materials is situated at the entrance to the Library. The library has seating capacity of about 500. There are various types of materials in the university library which are separated into six collections. These are the reference the loans, the reserve and the serial collections. They also include documentation / Achieves and information technology collections. A breakdown of the section to date is shown as follows: Books 60,000 Bound periodicals 4,850 Documents 3,200 Maps 948 Total of all formats 68,670 (Excluding current periodicals) Current periodicals 41 Library serials holdings 1,184 CD-ROM collection 64 EBSCO database (CDROM) 50

BACKROUND INFORMATION ON IMO STATE UNIVERSITY (IMSU) LIBRARY

Imo state university library, Owerri is as old as its institution which was establish in 1981, following a law passed on the 13th of April 1981, by the Imo State House of Assembly during the Mbakwe’s Administration. The school was officially opened in two campuses, i.e. Aba and Etiti in October 1982. The school was later moved to Okigwe by the then Military Administratrion, major General Ike Nwachukwu (Rtd) but was relocated to Owerri from Okigwe in 1992 as contained in the law establishing the institution. Imo state university was opened in 1993 at Lake Nwaebere campus before the admissions of students, and Dr. Omonogbo became the first acting Librarian of the university library. Since then the stock has been increasing and it is of note that the library stock has received gifts both in cash and in materials from individuals and European union, British consulates and all activities of the goal of its parent institution. As stated in the Imo State University library fact sheets, the library system of the school consist of ten libraries; They are as follows: i. The Main library ii. The Law Library iii. The college of Medical library iv. The library of the faculty of Business Administration v. The department of the Architectural Library vi. Social Science Library vii. Humanities Library viii. Department of Education Library ix. Quantity Surveying Library x. The Agricultural Library The activities of all these libraries are co-ordinated from the main library which is the institutional library. This is to enable to provide efficient and effective services to its clients in various faculties and colleges of the institution.