by The Cowl Editor on February 14, 2019

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Campus

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by Kelly Martella ’21

News Staff

Newspapers offer unique perspectives and historical contexts that can only be found in periodicals, and now millions of pages of them are readily available online. At Providence College, this ability has recently been made even easier due to the library’s recent partnerships.

Phillips Memorial Library recently purchased campus-wide licenses to the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal websites. Both newspapers have been in publication since the mid-19th century and are currently the 2nd and 3rd largest in U.S. circulation, respectively.

There was a time when reading the newspaper was the only way for people to keep up with current events. Morning and evening papers would be delivered to the front door twice a day, keepng the public informed about breaking news in their communities and from around the world. 

While this was the norm only a few decades ago, it now seems archaic to younger generations, college students in particular.

As the world becomes more digitized, it may seem like there is a lesser need for newspapers. This may be true in the physical sense — people are now more likely to scroll through articles on the Internet than actually flip through the paper. 

But even in the  world of Twitter feeds and Facebook updates, a newspaper can still be one of the most reliable sources of information.

Recognizing this modern dilemma, and in an effort to evolve in the digital world, almost all newspapers are now accessible online. This is not only true of issues that are currently being published, but many sites include past publications with articles spanning throughout history. 

Content from these publications is already available to the PC community via the library’s databases, however, the new partnership will allow direct access to the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal websites. 

There are many benefits of this added feature.  Assistant Library Director Sarah Edmonds explained, “Access to their websites allows for browsing and a more immediate, dynamic experience.” 

These are great academic resources, and many students utilize the already existing databases for research purposes. However, the new partnership has a wide range of benefits beyond academics, and the library hopes the community will take the opportunity to explore them. 

“We know that they are great tools for teaching, as well as professional and personal growth and civic engagement,” said Edmonds. “We hope that many members of the PC community will take advantage of these partnerships.”

These services will be available free of charge to everyone in the PC community—students, staff, and faculty. 

To sign up, contact Edmonds, or stop by Phillips Memorial Library to get more information.