Abstract
This paper takes a critical look at how academic libraries in Ghana acquire their information/materials. The investigation was mainly based on interviews. The interviews were conducted in four Ghanaian public university libraries from January 2014 to March 2015. In all, 38 senior members were interviewed. The findings indicated among other that the libraries under study purchase their library materials through donations, purchase and legal deposits. Also, other ways of acquiring knowledge/information in the library were: the socialisation, externalisation, combination and internalisation of artefacts. The study recommended that the Procurement Law of Ghana must be reviewed to allow other key officers like the provost and deans to give approval for the library to purchase books on their behalf; clearing process from the port should be streamlined to reduce the number of days spent clearing containers of books from the port. Key words: Gifts, donations, purchase, legal deposit, procurement law, socialisation, combination, externalisation.  
Highlights
Libraries are the cornerstone of civil society of the liberal democracy we have come to cherish
Acquisition of library materials is the process of locating and obtaining library materials identified as appropriate for collection development. Respondents said that they got their library materials through purchases, donations or gifts from individuals or organizations and legal deposits
Acquiring library materials through purchases is a complex activity in which book vendors and suppliers and subscription agents are involved
Summary
Libraries are the cornerstone of civil society of the liberal democracy we have come to cherish. They must not be allowed to crumble into disuse. An academic library book collection should have both depth and breadth because it needs to address a wide range of subjects and it needs a sufficient number of books to give those subjects the coverage they deserve ( Ishola, 2014). Library resources and services should be sufficient in quality, depth, diversity and currency to support the institution's curriculum. Academic libraries acquire their materials through gift, direct purchase and exchange. Selection and acquisition of library materials depend on the kind of library since each library is interested in serving primarily its clientele which could be homogenous or heterogonous (Adesanya, 2015)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
