What is a major advantage of joining a consortium when building a library collection?

Joining a consortium provides significant benefits when building a library collection, and one of the major advantages is indeed the access to reduced prices. When libraries come together as part of a consortium, they often leverage their collective purchasing power. This consolidates demand and provides the consortium with stronger bargaining capabilities against vendors, leading to discounts on books, databases, and other resources.

Additionally, consortia can negotiate better licensing terms for digital resources, making it more cost-effective for individual libraries. This allows member libraries to maximize their budgets, enhancing their collections without requiring a proportional increase in funding.

While increased diversity of materials is also a benefit of consortia, as libraries can share resources and materials across members, the primary financial incentive of reduced prices is often the most immediate and impactful advantage when building collections.