As illustrated above, providing immediate or near-immediate access to academic journal articles to support teaching, learning, and research at UConn is by far the costliest expense for collections totaling $2.4 million or over 44% of FY24 collections spending. The Future of Journals project envisioned and operationalized a sustainable approach to providing library patrons with access to journal articles at the point of need. By exiting increasingly cost-prohibitive “Big Deal” journal bundles, the UConn Library has reduced journal spending significantly.
| Fiscal Year | Projected cost to remain in “Big Deal” journal packages (with 5% annual increase) | Ejournal subscription totals | Article delivery totals | Total spent to provide articles in lieu of “Big Deals” | Savings from previous FY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY20 | --- | $4,422,511 | --- | --- | --- |
| FY21 | --- | $4,052,187 | --- | --- | $370,324 |
| FY22 | --- | $4,057,211 | $7,710 | $4,064,921 | -$12,734 |
| FY23 | $7,320,750 | $3,011,057 | $127,750 | $3,138,807 | $926,114 |
| FY24 | $7,686,787 | $2,197,966 | $222,860 | $2,420,826 | $717,981 |
| FY25 est. | $8,071,127 | $1,862,841 | $363,003 | $2,225,844 | $194,982 |
| Total savings since 2020 | $2,196,667 |