More Than a Reading List: Leganto, Data, and Library-Led Affordability

As textbook costs continue to rise, libraries are increasingly expected to play a central role in advancing affordable and equitable access to course materials. This session highlights how an Affordable Learning Librarian designed Leganto to operationalize affordability goals, and how a Research Scientist supported this work using analytical techniques that strengthen decision-making. Presenters will share how they leveraged Leganto as affordability infrastructure, supporting zero-cost and library-licensed materials and providing evidence for outreach, collections strategy, and advocacy. Rather than focusing on raw metrics alone, this session emphasizes selecting and interpreting analytics that tell a compelling story about student impact, instructional adoption, and program effectiveness. Attendees will leave with practical techniques for using Leganto intentionally, identifying meaningful analytics, and building partnerships that reflect the evolving role of libraries as leaders in affordable learning.