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 $2.3 million or over 44% of FY25 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 significantly reduced journal spending. As of fall 2026, we have saved an estimated $21,436,603.
| Fiscal Year | Ejournal subscription totals | Article delivery totals | Total spent to provide articles in lieu of “Big Deals” | *Projected cost to remain in “Big Deal” journal packages (with 5% annual increase) | **Total cumulative difference between projected cost to remain in "Big Deals" and total spent to provide articles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY20 | $4,422,511 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| FY21 | $4,052,187 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| FY22 | $4,057,211 | $7,710 | $4,064,921 | --- | --- |
| FY23 | $3,011,057 | $127,750 | $3,138,807 | $7,320,750 | $4,181,943 |
| FY24 | $2,197,966 | $222,860 | $2,420,826 | $7,686,787 | $5,265,961 |
| FY25 | $2,017,966 | $290,000 | $2,307,966 | $8,071,127 | $5,763,161 |
| FY26 est. | $1,978,024 | $271,121 | $2,249,145 | $8,474,683 | $6,225,538 |
| Total savings since 2020 | $21,436,603 |
* What it would have cost UConn to remain in the "Big Deals"
** Difference between what it would have cost and what the library spent providing articles instead