For the first time in three years The New York Times digital publication is now free for all Santa Rosa Junior College students.
All you need is your student ID login and password. See the end of the article for further instructions. As a non-subscriber you are restricted to no more than 10 articles a day on the NY Times before you are required to subscribe. Students would otherwise have to pay as much as $6/month, or $72/year for the subscription.
The decision to offer the free subscription to SRJC students was made in part by Electronic Services Librarian, Erin Daniels.
“It’s awesome to have that consistent run from one paper from 1851 till now,” Daniels said.
According to the New York Times website, the publication printed its first issue on September 18, 1851. Every issue is archived and available with the digital subscription now.
The NY Times is a historic news institution in the United States. With access to the paper you can download their apps and stay informed all the time, on or off campus. And yes, this includes the crossword puzzle.
On why the subscription has been made free to SRJC students, Public Services Librarian and Library Department Chair Molly Matheson said, “Librarians have long valued the New York Times as a high quality information source, and because it is known as the nation’s newspaper of record.”
Matheson explains that a recent collaborative contract between other California community college libraries and the New York Times allows students seamless access to the newspaper’s digital content.
“That coupled with the explosion of fake news, filter bubbles and the fact that many of us are receiving much of our news from friends or social media—these were all additional factors in our decision to provide this type of source for students and faculty,” Matheson said.
Below are highlights from the Library Guides website about the subscription:
Top Ten NYT Sections for Educators & Students:
- Room For Debate: panels weigh in on notoriously difficult, complex issues
- The Upshot: this team takes on major issues through data visualization and data analysis
- The Interpreter: this column explores the ideas and context behind major world events.
- Education Life: covers colleges and universities, teachers, public and private schools, tuition, scholarships, financial aid & student loans.
- Entrepreneurship: coverage of startups and small businesses.
- ScienceTake: combines cutting-edge research from the world of science with stunning footage of the natural world in action.
- Lens: NYT’s photography blog.
- The Daily 360: immersive, 360º videos.
- Dealbook: financial news, edited by Andrew Ross Sorkin.
According to the Library Guides website, students now have full access to the NYTimes.com, NYTimes mobile apps and their international editions. Students may also save articles, subscribe to email newsletters in areas of interest and receive news alerts. There is content in Spanish and Chinese as well.
Some students and faculty might remember that SRJC has historically offered access to the NY Times online, but three years ago the service was discontinued.
“If a database has low usage or technical problems, that becomes a red flag that the product needs to be reevaluated,” Daniels said.
In this case, the low usage had to do with the bare bones interface of the subscription. Imagine an early 2000s website with a white background and small blue Times New Roman hyperlinks with no pictures.
Daniels enthusiastically highlights some of the popular sections of the paper, such as the photography, science and fashion sections.
“Even if you don’t have a research paper requiring you to use a source like The New York Times I encourage you to expose yourself to ‘all the news that’s fit to print’ anytime, anywhere, by signing up for one of their newsfeeds,” Matheson said. She recommends The Upshot, a newsfeed designed specifically for college students.
After she was informed of the free subscription, including the downloadable app, student Maiya Newsome said “I love the idea of integration of technology. I appreciate how everyone is staying up to date.” Newsome added, “I read a lot of local news and I would like to have more of an insight outside local news. I’m interested in reading more about fashion and technology. The more knowledge the better.”
Lucky for Newsome, the New York Times has all of that and more.
How to subscribe:
First subscribe on a web browser.
1 Go to libguides.santarosa.edu/nyt
2 Enter your SRJC ID and PIN number
3 Create your account
4 Start your access
With your account login, you will be able to access all New York Times apps on your devices.