ABSTRACT
ARL libraries face a frustrating paradox as they support area studies and international education programs: North American research libraries' coverage of the world's publishing output is diminishing at a time when demand for international information is increasing. This inconsistency occurs despite increasing emphasis, in the public and private sectors, on international interdependence, despite increasing commitments in research universities to fostering "internationalization" in both the curriculum and in research, and despite the exponential growth of available foreign language titles in general.
