A new push is positioning academic libraries as a strategic lever in higher education’s affordability crisis. The argument centers on shifting beyond “access vs. ownership” debates and toward digital-first collection models, shared licensing, and redesigned learning material delivery to lower total student costs. The coverage notes that institutions are increasingly reconsidering everything from accommodation and course design to textbook affordability—often framed as the “textbook tax.” In that context, libraries are expanding their role in institutional value creation by improving student access and reducing overhead tied to physical collections. Digital-first and centralized digital library approaches can pool purchasing power across campuses and negotiate better vendor terms. The piece also highlights subscription-based access models—citing platforms such as Perlego—as an alternative to costly ownership licensing that can restrict use and misalign with learner needs. For campus leaders, the immediate signal is that libraries may become core partners in retention and completion work, because affordability constraints are increasingly linked to preparedness and learning access.