TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page                                                                                                 i

Approval Page                                                                                      ii

Certification Page                                                                             iii

Dedication                                                                                         iv

Acknowledgements                                                                    v

Table of Contents                                                                                        vi

Abstract                                                                                                       viii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION                                                  1

Background of the Study                                                                                        1

Statement of the Problem                                                                                        11

Purpose of the Study                                                                                               13

Research Questions                                                                                                 13

Significance of the Study                                                                                        14

Scope of the Study                                                                                                   15

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW                          16

Conceptual Framework                                                                     17

           Concept of Grey Literature                                                               17

           Concept of Management of Grey Literature                                            29

           Concept of Utilisation of Grey Literature                                   36

           Concept of Academic Libraries                                                            40

Challenges in Managing of Grey Literature                                                         43

Strategies for Improving Management of Grey Literature              46

Theoretical Framework                                                                                        50

Review of Related Empirical Studies                                                     54

Summary of Literature Review                                                                  59

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD                                                   61

Design of the Study                                                                                                61

Area of the Study                                                                                                     61

Population of the Study                                                                                          62

Sample and Sampling Techniques                                                                         62

Instruments for Data Collection                                                                            63

Validation of the Instrument                                                                                  64

Method of Data Collection                                      64

Method of Data Analysis                                                                                        65

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS                                                                   67

Summary of Findings                                                                                              77

CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION 80

Discussion of the Findings                                                                                     80

Implications of the Study                                                                                        87

Recommendations                                                                                                   88

Limitations of the Study                                                                                         88

Suggestion for further Studies                                                                               89

Conclusion                                                                                                                89

References                                                                                                                91

Appendices                                                                                                               95

ABSTRACT

This research investigated management and use of grey literature in academic libraries in Niger State. The purpose of it is to identify types of grey literature, examine methods of acquisition, processing, preservation and utilisation. In addition, to ascertain management challenges and strategies for improvement. Research questions were formulated based on seven points of the purposes. A descriptive survey research design was used for the study. One hundred and two (102) librarians (professional and paraprofessional) from Federal University of Technology, Minna, IBB University, Lapai, Federal College of Education, Kontagora, Niger State College of Education, Minna, Federal Polytechnic, Bida, and Niger State Polytechnic, Zungeru constituted the population. The entire population was used. There was no sampling because the sample size was manageable. The instruments for data collection were structured questionnaire, interview schedule and observation checklist. Documentary evidences in the area of grey literature formed the basis for construction of these instruments.  The instruments were face validated by three senior researchers in the field of Library and Information Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The research instruments were administered directly by the researcher. In analyzing the data collected, frequency table and mean score were used for the questionnaire and checklist, while the interview was presented in prose narrative form substantiating information obtained from questionnaire. The findings revealed that appreciable size and variety of grey literature resources are available in most libraries but proper management is where problems lie. The major methods of acquisition are donation/gift and standing order deposit for staff. Classification is the main method through which grey literature is processed, while cataloguing, indexing and abstracting are neglected in most cases. It was also found out that the major methods employed by most of the libraries for preserving grey literature are the use of shelves with labels and vertical files collection with content descriptions. The popular access points are print lists and shelf guides. Some of the challenges encountered with the management and accessing of grey literature resources in the area include lack of national bibliography for grey literature, as well as unwillingness of originating bodies to release copies of documents which topped the list. Strategies itemized for improving management of grey literature resources include; provision of national bibliography, policy statements and adequate fund for acquisition and digitization of the resources. Based on these, the study recommends for the provision of a national bibliography for grey literature, good policy statements for acquisition and use of grey literature, digitization of the resources, as well as government/institutions/libraries voting adequate fund for acquisition of grey literature, especially electronic resources.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

            Gyasi (2003) defines literature in its broad sense as ‘anything that is written’, while Rees (2007) sees it in the narrow sense of ‘writing which expresses and communicate thought, feelings and attitudes towards life. Literature is thus summed up as permanent expression(s) in words (written or spoken), especially arranged in pleasing and accepted pattern or forms. In an information generating society, written literature in various forms is generated on daily basis by individuals, corporate bodies, academic institutions, e.t.c. Many of these are either unconventionally published or not published but exist and are used frequently. These forms can be appropriately termed grey (or gray) literature.

The earliest authorities in the area of grey literature such as Chilag (1982) and Wood (1984), defined grey literature as all categories of unconventionally published material. On the other hand, Auger (1989) sees it as semi-published literature which is not formally listed or priced, but is nevertheless in circulation. Collectively the term covers an extensive range of materials that cannot be found easily through conventional channels such as publishers, but which are frequently original and usually recent. According to Alberani (1990), grey literature publications are non-conventional, fugitive and often ephemeral. The Third International Conference on Grey Literature (ICGL) held in Luxembourg in 1997, as reported in Aina (2000), unanimously came up with the definition of grey literature as that information material which is produced by government, academics, business and industries both in print and electronic formats but which is not controlled by commercial publishing interests and where publishing is not the primary activity of the organisation. Weintraub (2010) adopts the pattern of ICGL Luxembourg and refers to grey literature as publications issued by government, academia, business, and industry, in both print and electronic formats, but not controlled by commercial publishing interests, and where publishing is not the primary business activity of the organisation. Hirtle (1991) identifies grey literature as the quasi-printed reports, unpublished but circulated papers, unpublished proceedings of conferences, printed programs from conferences, and the other non-unique material, which seem to constitute the bulk of our modern manuscript collections.  

In the context of this study, grey literature may be defined as recorded information resources of various  media and format, that are unconventionally or semi-conventionally published and often not formally listed or priced or available through normal bookselling channels. For clear understanding and distinguishing of grey literature from other types of literature in this study, the following characteristics of grey literature elucidated by Omeje (2010) are adopted:

1. They are unconventionally published.
2. They are not usually available through the conventional sources of book supply.
3.  They are not covered by secondary bibliographic services such as indexes,   abstracts and bibliographies.  
4. They are difficult to find and acquire.
5. They contain original information (i.e. they are primary sources of information).

The University of New South Wales (UNE) Home Library (2012) contends that the term grey literature is often attached to the research that is either unpublished or has been published in non-commercial form which include: government reports, policy statements and issues papers, conference proceedings, pre-prints and post-prints of articles, theses and dissertations, research reports, market reports, working papers, geological and geophysical surveys, maps, newsletters and bulletins and, fact sheets. It identifies academics, postgraduate students, government agencies, professional associations, pressure groups, private companies, and research institutes as some of the sources of grey literature. In recent years, technical and scientific literature has continued to grow. The grey literature reports now come from many different avenues. The following types of organizations issue grey literature: associations, churches (including Mosques), county councils, educational establishments, federations, institutes, institutions, laboratories, libraries, museums, private publishers, research establishments, societies, trade unions, trusts and universities. This list has been copied directly from Charles Augur (1989) seminal book, Information Sources in grey literature (page 22).

According to Alberani (1990), grey literature publications include but are not necessarily limited to the following types of materials: reports (pre-prints, preliminary progress and advanced reports, technical reports, statistical reports, memoranda, state-of-the art reports, market research reports), theses, conference proceedings, technical specifications and standards, non-commercial translations, bibliographies, technical and commercial documentation, and official documents not published commercially; primarily government reports and documents. Others are consultancy reports, annual reports, panel reports, seminar or workshop reports, pamphlets, handouts, students/staff’s project works e.t.c. Scientific grey literature comprises newsletters, reports, working papers, theses, government documents, bulletins, fact sheets, conference proceedings and other publications distributed free, available by subscription, or for sale at a token price.

An increasingly important source of grey literature is the institutional repositories on web being created by universities world-wide. Most institutional repositories collect grey literature written by academics at their institutions. Electronic communication is changing the notion of grey literature which is expanding to include e-mails, faxes, blog postings, wikis and podcasts (HLwiki, 2012). An increasing amount of grey literature is now available on the Web in the form of Adobe Acrobat (PDF) documents. This means that it is relatively easy to find recent grey literature using a simple Google search. Weintraub (2010) referred to earlier also observed that in today’s electronic information environment, the Internet has become a major source for dissemination and retrieval of grey literature and often serves as a user’s initial introduction to a topic area. He notes further that well designed Web sites give users access to a body of digitally produced grey literature that complements the existing body of print materials, and that such web sites are a major source of information retrieval and dissemination such that there is a growing acceptance of references to relevant Web sites in scholarly papers and journal articles.  

Grey literature materials are valuable information resources. One of the values of grey literature is its immense value of being a primary source of information. In other words the information contained in it is original (i.e. directly from the originator-producer). Grey literature, as highlighted by Kwafo-Akato (1988), contains information which is vital in a nation’s socio-economic plan. A report to document the findings of a small survey on the availability of academic grey literature to Small And Medium Sized Enterprises in the UK (SMEs) made the key finding that SMEs require grey literature for practical benefits like using resources and university facilities as well as training opportunities and scouting for potential recruits.(JISC Scholarly Communications Report, 2008). Grey literature is often the best source of up-to-date research on certain topics, such as rural poverty or the plight of homeless people in Sydney. (The UNE Home Library, 2012).

Grey literature may be of questionable relevance or quality but may still have an impact on research, teaching and learning especially in tertiary institution of study (The wiki index, 2011), So much of it is highly intellectual and is significant for research and development in many subject areas. According to Aina (1994) and Auger (1998) studies have revealed that many researchers in basic and applied science use a high proportion of grey literature. They  go further to state that over the years, grey literature has come to constitute a section of publications ranking in importance with journals, books, and serials. Among other reasons cited for this are its greater speed and flexibility of dissemination.

Grey literature has manifestly been a very important means of communication. Augur (1989) recalls that ‘‘Grey literature was for many years synonymous with reports literature. At the turn of the 21^st century, documents coming out of research and development, particularly from the aircraft and aeronautics industries, were a very important means of communicating the results of research testing’’. White (1984) observes that the hallmark of the Second World War was the development of technologically-advanced weaponry, from sophisticated tanks to the atomic bomb. These breakthroughs in science made accurate and speedy communications a necessity. The technical report was then widely used to disseminate information. The one thing that made grey literature so attractive and enabled it to attain its importance as a separate medium of communication was an initial need for security or confidentiality of information which prevent documents being published in the conventional manner.

The importance of grey literature lies in its ability to communicate complex information in simple terms and to disseminate results more quickly. Much of the grey literature is derivative and designed to make technical material or research findings easily understood by a lay audience. For example, policy briefs, issue briefs, and fact sheets are often produced by summarizing more technical reports. They are also a way for organisations to get results out to their target audience more quickly. Grey literature has long-term value, particularly because it provides policy context and implications that may not be found in the published literature. In fact, advisory committee members of United State National Library of Medicine believe that the value of grey literature is at par with that of traditional published literature (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2008). Grey literature often is used to establish historical documentation. The progress of a document from draft to its finished form can sometimes be as valuable as the finished product, and the various drafts of a document can fill in gaps in the historical record.

Grey literature provides citizens with the information they require to make decisions about their lives and the societies in which they live. Whether individuals are taking a trip, conducting a study, buying an appliance, treating an illness, repairing machinery, joining an archaeological dig or a host of other activities that they experience as part of their daily lives, grey literature will continue to serve as a source of information that is consulted most often (Mukhtar, 2009). Grey literature that is more desirable in print such as handbooks, repair manuals, consumer product ratings, tourist guides, and other resources that we usually take with us and consult on a regular basis, are likely to continue being issued in print format as long as the demand exists. Weintraub (2010) argues that in a world in which free trade and instantaneous communication have eliminated many of the barriers to information flow, grey literature is gaining greater importance as a source of information for much of the world’s population. It is now an indispensable resource for an informed and enlightened public and will undoubtedly continue to serve as a necessary supplement to journal literature well into the future. Apparently, effective and efficient management of these resources is what is now required.

Aina (2004) defines management as a concern mainly with the human and material resources, activities and tasks of an organisation. He stressed that the overall objective in the management of organisation is to produce the best result within the resources available to the organisation. Management in this study means acquisition (collection), processing (registering, accessioning, organising) preserving and dissemination of grey literature resources in libraries. Organising here involves cataloguing, classifying, indexing and abstracting of grey literature.

A library is a collection of books as well as non-book materials organised systematically to ease access. Arua (1997) defines library as ‘‘a collection of books and related materials housed, organized for access and made available for use.’’ Apparently, there are different types of libraries performing different functions according to their types, such as the academic, school, public, private and special libraries.

            Academic generally refers to issues pertaining to educational institutions; primary, secondary or tertiary level. Strictly, it is