University of Minnesota Expands New York Times Access for 7,500 Accounts

The University of Minnesota Libraries activated full digital access to The New York Times on Sept. 21, creating more than 7,500 individual accounts for the campus community. This change replaces a previous text-only subscription model that had restricted user interaction with the publication's digital platform.

Sunshine Carter, the director of Collection Strategy and eResource Management at UMN Libraries, spent more than 10 years negotiating the deal. She cited a combination of discounted pricing, budget constraints, and sustained demand as the factors that allowed the university to finalize the agreement for all constituents.

Instructors report that the new access streamlines their teaching workflows. Stacie Swenson, a lecturer at the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, noted that she previously spent considerable time handling backend work to assign Times articles. With the digital subscription, students can now sign in and view content in its native web layout without technical friction.

The expansion also resolves long-standing paywall issues for students. Addie Wigg, a student at the university, said she previously watched classmates play NYT Games in class because the paywall prevented her from participating. Now that the barrier is removed, she and others engage directly with the interactive features.

Maya Sompalli, a second-year student, has maintained a daily streak in the newspaper's mini-game since the service launched. She stated that she now spends more time on NYT Games than on Instagram and has turned on notifications to stay current. Sompalli described the subscription as the best thing the university has done.

Carter emphasized that the new access unlocks features that were previously overlooked or unavailable. She pointed to the New York Times in Education, newsletters, and the full article archive as key components. While the old text-only subscription provided access to the archive dating back to 1851, it delayed the appearance of breaking news by up to 24 hours. The new digital service eliminates that lag, providing immediate access to current reporting.

Carter also mentioned that the Times Machine and other lesser-known components of the agreement are now fully accessible. She said that while many users are excited about the cooking section and games, the depth of the archival research tools remains a critical benefit for the academic community.