Your tuition pays for classes and access to academic support. That includes access to collections of high-quality academic resources and help from professionals.
College libraries have books and periodicals that have been purchased specifically for the programs and classes at that institution. Librarians select materials that are reliable, relevant, and useful for academic research. They read book reviews and access networks of experts in various fields to know which sources are best!
Collections are classified by subject and organized using standardized terminology which can take the guesswork out of finding sources! Librarians are search experts and professionally trained to help you navigate the information sources you have access to.
If you've ever tried to read an article online and were asked to subscribe or pay, you know what a paywall is. Libraries subscribe to millions of publications so that you never have to pay for access to newspapers, magazines, or journals while you are in school.