By JP Landolt

The next time you’re trying to read a news article online and hit a paywall, consider finding your library card instead of your credit card. HCLS eNewspapers offers current and past issues of national and local newspapers, as well as historical newspaper archives and news from around the world! 

The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times use paywalls and limited article views; with our eNewspapers you can enjoy all the articles at any time. All you need is your library card (barcode) and your PIN. If you ever find yourself without your barcode or PIN, please contact any of our branches or use our AskHCLS chat service for assistance. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the distribution of local print newspapers. These physical publications are not presently available in our branches. However, you still have digital access to local news. The Howard County Times and Laurel Leader are among the 45 local newspapers listed in the Maryland Digital News Bank. 

Paywall-free access to news is essential in this time when we’re looking for credible and balanced perspectives. Our eNewspapers provide this access as well as the unique opportunity to explore news from around the world and news of the past. 

I use ProQuest Global Newstream to read my homeland’s newspaper, Pacific Daily News (Guam), and I use PressReader to browse publications from around the world. PressReader offers thousands of newspapers and magazines in various languages and can be easily translated from one language to another. My late father would have truly appreciated this resource as it would have given him the chance to read Filipino publications in his native language.

Historical Newspaper Archives is an invaluable resource for newsophiles and lifelong learners alike. You can survey American national and local newspapers from the 1800’s, pore over first-hand accounts during the Civil War, and delve into our nation’s formative years. 

I’d like to highlight the acclaimed Baltimore Afro-American Archives which touts nearly a century’s worth of weekly papers (1893-1988). This newsletter-turned-newspaper holds a seminal role in American societal change by challenging Jim Crow laws and public school segregation in the Atlantic region. I invite you to read through these papers and experience American history being made. 

Whether “old” or current, news is exciting! You can improve your news consumption with your library card. When you use eNewspapers, you’ll never have to worry about news paywalls again!

JP has worked for HCLS since 2006. She loves learning new things and playing disc golf, albeit as a novice.