Examination of whether annual book budgets have kept pace with demands compares academic library book budgets in Germany and the United States in the mid-20th century with budgets of earlier years, taking into account annual book and serial production; costs of books; and the number of courses, faculty, and students. (Author/CLB)

This article advances hypothesis that current university library book expenditures are no greater than past expenditures and explores six methodological questions involved in testing the hypothesis. A comparative study of German university libraries in 1860 and 1960 and American unversity libraries in 1910 and 1960 is presented. References are…