Academic libraries are pivotal in improving access to learning materials and reducing costs for students. Yet many librarians face the same challenge: how do you extend affordable learning initiatives beyond a small number of courses when staff capacity is limited and curricula continue to grow?
That question is explored in a new whitepaper examining Project Fox, an initiative at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) that helped scale affordable learning efforts across the institution. By integrating library expertise, course resource workflows and technology, the project shifted affordability work from a largely manual service to a more sustainable, repeatable approach.
The whitepaper looks at how UNL expanded support for course materials, increased visibility into assigned resources and built processes that could be applied across departments and academic programs. The result offers a useful case study for libraries seeking practical ways to broaden their impact on student affordability and success.
The results are significant. Through Project Fox, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Libraries helped students save $3.5 million while developing a more scalable process for identifying, acquiring and delivering affordable course materials.
How a reading list solution helps libraries scale student impact
The cost of course materials remains a persistent concern in higher education. For students, textbook and reading costs can affect when they gain access to required materials and how prepared they are when classes begin. Academic libraries are well positioned to help by connecting faculty with library-owned content, lower-cost alternatives and open educational resources (OER).
The challenge, however, is often one of scale.
Many affordability programs depend on time-intensive activities such as syllabus review, faculty outreach, holdings analysis and individual consultations. These approaches can produce strong results, but they become more difficult to sustain as the number of courses grows. UNL faced this situation and chose to redesign its workflow rather than expand a largely manual process.
Scaling affordability through integrated workflows
One of the most useful lessons from the whitepaper is that expanding affordability programs does not always require entirely new services. In many cases, it requires connecting existing services and processes more effectively.
Project Fox built on technologies already in place at UNL, including Alma, Leganto and Rialto. Together, these systems supported a workflow that connected syllabus review, holdings analysis, acquisitions and course material delivery. The goal was to reduce time spent on manual, clerical tasks and make successful practices easier to repeat across courses and departments.
Throughout the project, librarians continued to evaluate materials, work with faculty and make collection decisions. Technology supported those efforts by making the underlying workflow more efficient and scalable.
What the data revealed
The pilot phase provided insight into where affordability efforts could have the greatest impact. Among 27 courses reviewed, 89% had opportunities to move to lower-cost options, while only 11% were already using the lowest-cost option available.
These findings gave librarians a clearer basis for outreach and decision-making. The data helped identify courses where existing library holdings could meet student needs, where additional acquisitions would have the greatest value and where instructors might consider alternative materials, including OER. In one case, an instructor converted a course to entirely no-cost materials.
The broader lesson is that affordability opportunities often remain difficult to identify until libraries have access to systematic course materials data and workflows designed to support analysis at scale.
A measured approach to AI adoption
The whitepaper presents AI as part of a broader service strategy rather than a standalone solution.
UNL was among the early adopters of Leganto Syllabus Assistant, which converts syllabus content into reading lists for librarian review. Importantly, AI was introduced after the library had established clear objectives and workflows. Librarians retained responsibility for reviewing outputs and making decisions.
This approach aligns with findings cited from the Academic AI Impact Study 2026, which reported reductions in repetitive work, increased workload capacity and high acceptance rates for AI-generated outputs when introduced within defined workflows and accompanied by staff oversight.
For libraries considering AI, the report offers a straightforward message: start with a clearly defined service goal, then evaluate where automation or AI can support that work.
Beyond operational efficiency
The long-term value of affordability programs extends beyond workflow improvements.
By helping students gain timely access to required materials, reducing financial barriers and strengthening partnerships with faculty, libraries can contribute directly to institutional student success goals. At UNL, affordability work became a way to support course design, access and student outcomes while building stronger relationships with instructors.
Why read the whitepaper?
For libraries exploring affordable learning programs, AI-supported workflows or ways to expand services, this whitepaper offers a detailed case study grounded in practice.
Rather than focusing solely on technology, it examines how one institution combined librarian expertise, workflow design and targeted use of AI to scale affordability efforts across a growing curriculum. The result is a useful resource for libraries interested in making affordability work more sustainable and extending its impact across the institution. Get your free copy here!
