Sixth International Conference on Grey Literature (GL6)
| Date | 01 January 2005 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07419050510588250 |
| Published date | 01 January 2005 |
| Pages | 20-22 |
| Author | Julia Gelfand |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
Sixth International Conference on Grey
Literature (GL6)
Julia Gelfand
20 LIBRARY HITECH NEWS Number 1 2005, pp. 20-22, #Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 0741-9058, DOI 10.1108/07419050510588250
The Sixth International Conference
on Grey Literature (GL6) was held at
the New York Academy of Medicine
(NYAM) Conference Room in New
York City, December 6-7, 2004. About
80 attendees participated in the two-day
conference with a clear majority of
them having traveled from Europe. A
year ago at GL5, when the Grey
Literature Network Service was
reestablished as part of TextRelease, it
was determined that ``information
professionals needed a global platform
on which to showcase best practices and
benchmarks, i.e. `work on grey in
progress.'''
Thus, five tracks were established
and several papers were delivered on
related themes to each. Initially, I had
some hesitation about whether a small
international conference was a bit too
ambitious and we would only get papers
submitted that would not ``make it''in a
broader context or a more competitive
meeting. My concerns proved to be
incorrect as the papers at this meeting
were focused and proved that grey
literature is in a new day.
First, the opening keynote address
by James Neal, Vice-President of
Information Services and University
Librarian at Columbia University
(www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/) caused
nearly everyone in the room to be
spellbound. ``A cataclysmal reflection
on the schizophrenic greyness in our
world'' was how he introduced his
remarks and by framing his ideas in a
religious sphere describing the ``three
colors of soul'' as white, black and
grey, Neal shared ideas and insights
about how he has defined grey literature
as an ``unsettled field bottling up to a
new boiling point.'' With references to
David H. Close (Revolution: A History
of the Idea, 1985); Thomas S. Kuhn
(Structure of Scientific Revolutions,
1962; The Essential Tension: Selective
Studies in Scientific Tradition and
Change, 1977; and The Road Since
Structure: Philosophical Essays 1970-
1993, 2000) and Karl Marx's theories
of epistemology and ideology which
explores quantitative versus qualitative
changes, Neal contextualizes the
literature and litany of greyness touched
by the ``revolution.''
He went on to define trends that he
saw reflected in grey literature:
.Obvious ones and others less
central.
.Has a sense of self-service ±
created to be of help/service.
.Addressed information as a com-
modity versus that of public good.
.More interactive and episodic.
.Fulfilled user expectations more
than other forms of information.
.Technology-driven ± with an urge
to openness ± offers a new rechar-
acterization of grey literature.
.Influenced by expectations
With reference to the late journalist,
Charles Kurwalt, who took his viewing
audience on the road to see the land and
its people, the landscape and
infrastructure of grey literature are
fundamental but insufficient and
fortunately we have many new
technology capabilities allowing it to
develop. The new explorations allow:
.better searching methods ± by
currency, and ``researchability'' to
frame and pursue different ave-
nues;
.dynamism and fluidity;
.long term integrity and viability;
.interdisciplinarity;
.collaborative potential;
.integration;
.linkability;
.interactivity;
.repetition ± focus on ideas;
.spatial capabilities; and
.encyclopedic.
The previous emphasis on licensing
and ownership of information now
gives way to enhancement ± all new
aspects of the digital format with
content management becoming central
to the infrastructure. Neal stated that the
core missions of information
management include acquisitions,
synthesis, navigation, dissemination,
interpretation, understanding and
learning, archiving for the future. With
new key access parameters there is
more relevant interest in how and why
information is being discovered and
used and by whom. The more intimate
exploration or leveraging of the access
parameters is clearly a reason why grey
literature has matured. Information
today must embrace issues of
sustainability ± with a ``choking on
proliferation'' with so much
information available.
Neal sees the future of peer review
and how it will influence greyness as
key. He also explored the impact of
consolidation among scholarly and
commercial publishers, the changes in
intellectual property and said that
different approaches will be taken to
see information in the marketplace:
.Darwinian approach is taken where
the strong versus the weak compete
for survival.
.Capitalistic approach ± more com-
petitive.
.Socialist mantra ± more likely to
describe grey literature.
Grey literature has sustained itself
because it:
.has promoted diversification;
.suggests networking;
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