Higher education leaders are increasingly treating academic libraries as a lever in affordability efforts, shifting from physical collections toward digital-first access models and shared procurement. The strategy reframes library operations as part of the institution’s financial value proposition rather than a standalone support function. The report highlights cost pressures driven by the “textbook tax” and argues that licensing and access constraints can directly affect student learning outcomes. It also points to centralized digital libraries and shared collections as a way to pool budgets and strengthen vendor negotiations. A key element is moving from ownership-based acquisition to subscription and broad-access models, including platforms like Perlego that sell predictable access costs instead of per-title purchasing. For university operators, the practical test will be whether digital access models reduce total cost of attendance drivers without creating new accessibility, licensing, or outcome measurement challenges.