The price of the average academic book has gone up by 6.1 per cent to Pounds 44.18 in 1999-2000 compared with Pounds 41.62 in 1998-99, according to the Library and Information Statistics Unit at Loughborough University. The greatest increases were in social sciences (31 per cent), performing arts except music (.3 per cent) and management and business administration (20.4 per cent). The largest falls were in psychology (-22 per cent) and history (-15.5 per cent).