Collections Budget Update - December 2025

The Library is committed to keeping our campus community informed about changes to collections and how they may affect access to information resources. As outlined in the university’s 2025 budget messaging, the operating grant remains unchanged for the fourth consecutive year—an effective reduction of 13.5% when accounting for inflation. To support a balanced institutional budget for 2025–26, units across campus are implementing cost-containment measures. For the Library, this includes a $500,000 structural reduction to the collections base budget. To align with the university’s budget direction, the Library continues to adjust its collections strategy with a focus on sustaining access to the resources most used and most valued by students, faculty, and researchers.

The Library is reviewing subscriptions with recurring annual costs and will reduce book purchasing levels in 2025–26. These adjustments help ensure that collections funds remain concentrated on high-impact materials across all disciplines. Where appropriate, subject-specific changes will be communicated directly to affected Faculties and Departments.

Key Change: Cancellation of the Springer Electronic Journal Package (January 2026)

Beginning January 2026, the Library will discontinue the Springer electronic journal package. This package includes more than 2,000 journals, many of which show limited use at the University of Alberta.

To support continuity of teaching and research:

  • The Library has been unable to negotiate individual subscriptions to these journals.
  • Nature journals are not affected and will continue to be available.
  • All previously purchased electronic content remains accessible.
  • Approximately 50% of new Springer Nature articles are published Open Access and will continue to be available immediately.
  • Interlibrary Loan services remain available for any articles not covered by current subscriptions.

More information about this change is available on the Library News page.

The library publishes detailed collection expenditure reports each year within the UAL Data Collection in Borealis.

Questions can be sent to csu@ualberta.ca