Abstract Small island developing states are often characterized by weak local publishing industries and infrastructure, which leads to the unavailability of locally relevant publications. Given this reality, the vertical file collections are therefore an important source of indigenous information. In view of this, the authors sought to determine to what extent are vertical files existent and prevalent in Jamaican libraries especially in an age of increasing reliance on electronic resources. The authors also examine how Jamaican libraries make these vertical files accessible to the public. To achieve this, both a survey and a comparative study of vertical files in selected library and information service environments in Jamaica were undertaken. The results indicate that vertical files exist in a variety of environments. However, more can be done in Jamaican libraries to improve the accessibility of vertical file collections to users. There is need for closer attention to be paid to vertical files in Jamaica and their promotion, as these collections are very valuable sources of local information not yet documented by local publishers. Keywords: vertical file, collection management, vertical file index, vertical file subject index, Jamaican Libraries, developing countries, small island developing countries The Status of Vertical File Collection Management in Jamaican Libraries Developing countries tend to lack the variety of information resources that developed countries take for granted. According to Khanna, Palepu and Sinha (2005), while developed countries have the and culture supportive of specialised research institutions and intermediaries, developing countries are characterised by a lack of these. The challenges in the English-speaking Caribbean's publishing industry include scarce resources, small market [sic] and absence of infrastructure (Institute of Social and Economic Research [ISER], 1988, p.5). Marketing problems afflict the region's publishing industry and force some book buyers to source Caribbean from outside the region (ISER, 1988). Bandara (1995) revealed that a majority of Caribbean books are produced outside of the region. S. Spencer, Mendes and Terry, (1987) also found that regional scholarly publishers have insufficient resources to have effective marketing and promotion strategies as well as lack financial support, thereby leading to serious survival problems. Gaps in the region's publishing are not due to absence of only. Indigenous of scholarly and education material in the region is also hampered by the small size of the region's audience (S. Spencer et al.,1987, p.1). Due to size of audience, writers and scholars do not have a sufficiently large regional market to sustain their scholarship and writing, thus opting to write for an international audience (S. Spencer et al.,1987). This further depletes the availability of local materials. Some thirty years ago, Thomas (1979) underscored the importance of stimulating more publishing in the region. For Thomas (1979), the local publishing industry is necessary for the production of culturally relevant materials and to produce materials that can be purchased with the local currency. The latter point is very essential for small developing countries such as those in the Caribbean, who according to Mohamedali (1999), have rising costs of publications correlating with the of local currencies. According to Mohamedali (1999), the depreciation in the value of local currencies vis-a-vis other international currencies is a major constraint which adversely affects the purchasing power of [Caribbean] libraries, since most...publications...have to be purchased from abroad (p. 308). Consequently, it can be seen that without local publishing, all publications purchased would require the availability of foreign currency. The point of locally relevant publications is also essential, as foreign publications may not meet local needs. …