Don Knuth letter about libraries increasingly unable to afford prices (2003) [pdf]

Journal pricing & library affordability

• The letter describes libraries being squeezed by rising subscription costs; commenters say the situation is at least as bad or worse now.
• Today, big publishers often sell only large bundled, institution‑wide licenses costing millions, replacing per‑journal subscriptions described in the letter.
• Some note university consortia spending tens of millions per year; failures in negotiations (e.g., with a major chemistry society) can abruptly cut off national access.
• Several point out that despite widespread complaints, universities, libraries, and funders still feed content and money into the same publishers, reinforcing the model.

Open access models and new journals

• An open‑access “Algorithms” journal exists now, but commenters criticize its publisher’s pay‑to‑publish model and mixed reputation; some prefer non‑profit “platinum OA” journals with no author fees.
• A prominent example is given where an editorial board resigned from a high‑priced journal to found a lower‑cost society journal; in some fields this strategy worked, in others the old commercial journal recovered.
• Preprint servers and non‑profit OA venues are praised as some of the few bright spots.

Ebooks, textbooks, and digital access

• Library ebook pricing and licensing is described as “insane”: high prices, limited checkouts, and forced re‑purchases.
• Commenters wonder why digital copies can cost more than physical books despite lower distribution costs and lost resale rights; others respond this is simply profit maximization.
• Some readers willingly pay more for ebooks due to convenience and reduced clutter; others refuse to pay more for non‑resellable digital items.

Piracy and shadow libraries

• Shadow libraries (e.g., Sci‑Hub, Library Genesis, Anna’s Archive) are widely acknowledged as crucial for independent researchers and those outside wealthy institutions.
• One view: pirating academic articles doesn’t harm incentives (authors aren’t paid per download), while book piracy may.
• Others argue the current textbook pricing and copyright lengths are already dysfunctional; piracy may increase readership and highlight systemic problems.
• An influential “guerilla open access” manifesto is cited, framing mass sharing of paywalled research as civil disobedience against unjust privatization of knowledge.

Libraries as institutions

• Some see physical libraries as weak competitors to digital shadow libraries; others emphasize their broader role as community hubs and social spaces, not just book repositories.
• Concerns are raised that restrictive pricing and OA deals might hasten the decline of print and traditional libraries.

The letter itself and communication style

• Many praise the letter’s clear argumentation and typesetting; some express amazement that the publisher ignored it.
• There is debate over sending a 14‑page letter: some see it as excessive in modern work culture, others note that an editorial board, especially when addressed by the journal’s founder, can reasonably be expected to read detailed prose.