Book excerpt: As an on-the-job answer book, a statistical information resource, a planning and research guide, and a directory and calendar, The Bowker Annual Library and Book Trade Almanac 2006 delivers the hard-to-find industry news and information you need. This acclaimed must-have resource provides the following: Expert reviews of the key trends, events, and developments that will influence your work in 2006 and the years to come Clear explanations of new legislation and changes in funding programs and how this will affect libraries Definitive statistics on book prices, numbers of books published, library expenditures, average salaries, and other budget-crunching assistance A full calendar of events, key organizations, names and numbers of important individuals (including e-mail addresses and fax numbers), and much more This fully updated reference tool makes it easy to stay on top of the developments that affect libraries, booksellers, and publishers alike and to find fast answers to the countless on-the-job questions you encounter.