[upvotinglurker]

When an entire department wants a publication on paper, a single copy in a library won't serve that need (since that copy can only be in one place at once). I experienced this in college (before electronic journals were widespread) with professors assigning a reading to an entire class and not providing copies.

[Mediterraneo10]

The vast majority of scholarship is unlikely to be in any assigned reading list and the journal will probably be there sitting on the shelf when you want to have a look at it. In cases where there is suddenly high demand for it, then it makes sense to make copies of the article for everyone (or let them download a PDF), but I am happy that I don’t have to print myself everything I want to read.