Unbundling Profile: Colorado State University - SPARC

"Colorado State University negotiates its library contracts with publishers through the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries. In 2021, the Alliance signed a 3-year contract that removed perpetual access in exchange for lower costs. A few years later, both CSU, CU Boulder, and the University of Wyoming were unable to meet the rising costs of the bundled contract. The Alliance negotiated a deal with Elsevier in January 2024, where some institutions could opt in to the bundle and others could unbundle. All of the large institutions opted for unbundling. Alternative access expenses, through on-demand purchasing and interlibrary loan, have been lower than anticipated at CSU. Faculty have been supportive of the change. In the first year, CSU saved about $500,000 in subscription costs."