1.1 Introduction
Grey literature, often defined as information produced by government agencies, academics, businesses, and other organizations that isn't typically published through traditional commercial channels, plays a crucial role in scholarly research and decision-making processes (Adams, 2002). Similarly, grey literature refers to materials and research that are not traditionally published through commercial channels, such as reports, theses, conference proceedings, government documents, and working papers. This category of literature encompasses a wide range of materials, including reports, theses, conference proceedings, working papers, and technical documents. Despite its significance, grey literature poses unique challenges in terms of selection and acquisition for researchers and information professionals.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitation of the study and Definition of terms.
1.2 Background of 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,
- Aims and objective of the institution
- The number of faculty members
- The number of departments / subjects areas
- Research and teaching needs
- The nature of materials required in terms of book and non-book.
There is a specific library acquisition policy which specifies 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 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.
1.2 Historical Background of the Two Schools Under Study
1.2.1 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 titles 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 realized 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
1.2.2 Background 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 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:
- The Main library
- The Law Library
- The college of Medical library
- The library of the faculty of Business Administration
- The department of the Architectural Library
- Social Science Library
- Humanities Library
- Department of Education Library
- Quantity Surveying Library
- 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.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that grey literature is often not readily available through conventional channels such as institutional subscriptions or libraries. Access barriers arise due to restricted distribution channels, limited availability, or the need for specialized permissions or subscriptions (Packer & Meneghini, 2006).
Additionally, grey literature frequently bypasses formal peer review processes, raising concerns about its reliability and credibility. The absence of rigorous quality assurance measures inherent in traditional publishing channels necessitates careful evaluation and scrutiny by researchers (Adams, 2002).
Furthermore, grey literature exists in diverse formats, including electronic documents, websites, institutional repositories, and conference presentations. Managing and organizing these disparate formats poses challenges for information professionals tasked with curating and preserving scholarly collections (Schöpfel & Farace, 2010).
Addressing these problems requires collaborative efforts from researchers, librarians, publishers, and policymakers to develop innovative strategies and infrastructure for accessing, evaluating, and integrating grey literature into scholarly research effectively.
1.4 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this research work is to contribute to the development of library collection and to make effective tool in grey literature as management tool in an academic library. The study will also add to the literature of librarianship as well as be of immense help to the students, lecturers, librarians, schools and the nation at large.
1.5 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to identify the problems of selection and purchase of grey books in Nigerian Libraries. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To understand the underlying factors contributing to the Problems of selection and Purchase of Grey Books in Nigerian Libraries;
- To identify and characterize the primary challenges faced in the selection and acquisition of grey literature;
- To identify the importance of grey literature in libraries located at the study area;
- To know what challenges are encounter in acquiring grey literature and how to face them; and
- To raise awareness among researchers, librarians, publishers, policymakers, and other stakeholders about the importance of grey literature and the challenges associated with its selection and acquisition.
1.6 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Are there challenges encountered in acquiring grey literature and ways of resolving them?
- Does your library select and acquire grey literature?
- Does your library encounter any challenges in acquiring the grey literature?
- Is there need for grey literature in the academic libraries?
- What are the primary challenges faced in the selection and acquisition of grey literature?
- What is the importance of grey literature in libraries located at the study area?
- What is the underlying factors contributing to the Problems of selection and Purchase of Grey Books in Nigerian Libraries?
1.7 Significance of Study
The significance of the research findings will provide alternative viewpoints, practical knowledge, and real-world applications that enrich research endeavors. Also, it will ensure access to and preservation of these materials is vital for safeguarding cultural heritage, documenting societal changes, and supporting historical research.
Additionally, this study is meant to provide assistance to those in scholarly environments wishing to extend their research capabilities. This study will also save the scholars and lay readers alike with research summaries, facts, and other data that offer more comprehensive view of their topic interest.
Furthermore, the study will provide to scholars/students quick access, greater flexibility, and opportunity to go into considerable details when necessary. The study also is very significant to students who may wish to replicate the work for better research as it serve as reference source.
1.8 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the Problems of selection and Purchase of Grey Books in Nigerian Libraries in libraries. It is extremely difficult to conduct a research of this nature that embraces all libraries in Nigeria; this is because the vital data for such a study will be difficult to come by.
Therefore, to ensure the efficient and effective collection of relevant data, the researcher brought the scope of the study to a more manageable size and will restrict the investigation to only two academic libraries, namely; Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) and Imo State University (IMSU) libraries both of Owerri. It is natural to encounter problems in a study like this because it's broader wise.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, there were some problems encountered which stood as limitations to the research work. Some of the limitations include:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this research work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this establishment to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
- Initial Cooperation Delay from Respondents: A particular limitation of this work came as a result of the respondent refusal to offer their cooperation at the initial time they were contacted. This contributed in making the success of this research study difficult.
1.10 Definition of Terms
selection:
It is the act of choosing items or library materials yet to be acquired for the satisfaction of library clienteles. It is the act of choice and a quantity of variety choosen from the lists of publication. It must precedes acquisition because, it is only when you select that you can acquire what you have selected.
Acquisition:
This is the act of obtaining materials selected. It is the act of making available the library materials that was selected from the list of publication, and it is done through the following channels, purchase, gifts, inter-library loan or exchange, legal deposit, etc. It is a term used for provision of library materials.
Grey Literature:
This is the term used to cover all publications that are not controlled by commercial publishing interests. That is, those publications that are issued by government, academia, business and industry in both print and electronic format. Grey literature comprises of newsletters, reports, working papers, theses, government documents, bulletins, fact sheets, symposia, conference proceedings etc. Virtually everything we read outside of journals and books can be considered grey literature.
