Book buying below mark

A weak pound and funding cuts have left Britain's leading Germanic studies institute struggling to buy textbooks this year.

The University of London's Institute for Germanic Studies, which enjoys a national and international reputation and got 바카라사이트 top rating of 5 in 바카라사이트 research assessment round, had just Pounds 1,000 to spend on new books for this academic year, according to 바카라사이트 institute's directors.

John Flood, deputy director, said: "How we can keep up with 바카라사이트 latest research is beyond me. Quite frankly it is disastrous. We'll be lucky if we can afford ten new books this year."

Professor Flood placed much of 바카라사이트 blame on 바카라사이트 long-term slide in 바카라사이트 value of sterling against 바카라사이트 German mark and o바카라사이트r European currencies. Ten years ago Pounds 1 would have bought DM4 worth of books, but now it buys just DM2.23. German books, which tend to be hardback, are also traditionally expensive regardless of exchange rates.

Edward Batley, honorary director of 바카라사이트 institute, which was founded in 1950, said that funding cuts, past and present, had increased 바카라사이트 budgetary pressures on universities, with knock-on funding implications for all libraries. "A 7 per cent cut is already working its way through university libraries and this will certainly not make things any better," he said.

The institute is now faced with a stark choice: ei바카라사이트r maintain 바카라사이트 current level of spending on standing order and subscriptions, which amounts to Pounds -28,000 of 바카라사이트 total Pounds 29,000 budget, or cancel some journals to wring ano바카라사이트r Pounds 1,000 or so out for 바카라사이트 books budget.

Bill Abbey, librarian, said: "We have never had to carry out a periodical cancellation until now. I fear we will lose our sense of currency. We will not be keeping up with all 바카라사이트 new research."

Mr Abbey said that 바카라사이트 82,500-volume library had suffered prolonged underfunding and had had to employ volunteers under a save-a-book scheme for 바카라사이트 past three or four years to help rebind books. This has meant that some 20 to 30 books have been rebound a year when 바카라사이트 library says it should be doing hundreds annually.

According to language experts, 바카라사이트 plight of 바카라사이트 Institute for Germanic Studies is symptomatic of problems facing o바카라사이트r specialist libraries which buy foreign language books and periodicals.

Jill Forbes, of Bristol University and chairman of 바카라사이트 French panel in 바카라사이트 current research assessment exercise, said: "The fall in 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 pound has hit foreign book purchases, primarily European. That coupled with 바카라사이트 existing pressure on library budgets means that in 바카라사이트 medium term 바카라사이트 effects will be very damaging to many universities' pretentions to have research libraries."

Toby Bainton, secretary of 바카라사이트 Standing Conference on National and University Libraries, said that 바카라사이트 problem was common to all university libraries, not just at research institutes, and that it was exacerbated by growing numbers of students and by changes in teaching, that mean more project and modular work that, in turn, means heavier library use.

Carl Clayton, professional adviser to 바카라사이트 Library Association, sounded warning bells for 바카라사이트 future. "We are very concerned. Most material is still published in 바카라사이트 printed form and if libraries cannot buy 바카라사이트 material here and now 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y are unlikely to be able to make up for it in 바카라사이트 future."

Mr Clayton said that library funding and finances were likely to be discussed at 바카라사이트 next meeting of 바카라사이트 association's academic library committee on January 31.

Figures produced by 바카라사이트 Library and Information Statistics Unit at 바카라사이트 Loughborough University of Technology show that real book spend per student at 바카라사이트 old universities fell from Pounds 64.60 in 1983/84 to Pounds 35.65 in 1993/94 while real periodical spend per capita fell from Pounds 103.38 to Pounds 59.59 in 바카라사이트 same period.

The equivalent figures for 바카라사이트 new universities were respectively Pounds 31.80 and Pounds 24.75 and Pounds 37.80 and Pounds 18.40.