Breaking News: How to Access Major Newspapers for Free With Your Library Card

Written by: Ashley L. at the Pacifica Libraries

Tired of hitting paywalls while trying to keep up with current events online? Your library card with San Mateo County Libraries gives you free access to dozens of major newspapers and news magazines that would otherwise require a paid subscription. Many of these are also available as an app that you can use to stay up to date every day on your smartphone or tablet. 

Here's an overview of what's available. Click on the link for each resource for information about how to use it.

PressReader—eNewspapers & eMagazines 

New York Times

72-hour complimentary, unlimited access pass to the full edition of The New York Times online and eligible apps without a subscription. Find all regular newspaper content, photography and videos dating back from 1851 to the present. Personalize your access through email newsletters, mobile apps and customizable news feeds and recommendations. Mandarin and Spanish versions are also available. You can also register to activate a 24-hour pass to New York Times Cooking and New York Times Games.

Wall Street Journal

The business-focused Wall Street Journal Online not only provides financial market and investment news, but it covers world news, politics, arts, culture and lifestyle.

Bay Area Newspapers: Local by Newsbank

Search current and archived issues of local newspapers for full-text news articles, editorials, events, people, government, sports and more. Search each paper individually or search all six local papers at the same time using the links below. Requires a 29041, 29731 or 29735 library card.

• San Francisco Chronicle – 1/1/1985-present (no obituaries included)
• San Mateo County Times – 9/15/2001-present
• San Mateo Daily Journal – 10/2/2000-present
• San Jose Mercury News – 6/1/1985-present
• Half Moon Bay Review – 8/15/1997-present
• Pacifica Tribune – 9/24/2003-present (no data 9/10/2009-6/6/2012)
• Search all six local papers at the same time.

Other Newspapers: Newspaper Source Plus

Newspaper Source Plus allows you to easily search a wide variety of newspapers and other news sources for articles on a particular topic. 

NewsforYou: For English Language Learners

Newspaper articles in simple English about current events and other interesting topics that can help you learn to read, write, speak and understand the English language. Seven new stories are posted each Wednesday, along with audio, exercises, vocabulary, a crossword puzzle, a word search and a poll. Listen to each story in full or sentence by sentence.