ECC Library FAQs

How do I get the New York Times Digital Edition for free?

ECC Library has subscribed to the NYTimes Academic Pass. This means that anyone with a valid Elgin Community College email address can sign up for free access to the NYTimes.com website and smartphone apps! It also means that you can cancel your personal subscription to NYTimes.com! (But first, read the “Restrictions” section below to make sure you want to cancel.)

How to Register for Your Free Academic Pass:

1. Go to the New York Times Academic pass page.
2. Click “Create Account” to create a NYTimes.com account using your student.elgin.edu or elgin.edu email address. If you already have a NYTimes account (free or paid) tied to your ECC email, you need to unlink your ECC email from that account before signing up for your Academic Pass. Log in to NYTimes.com, click your username in the top right corner, select “My Account,” and replace your ECC address with a non-ECC one. You can then use your ECC address to register for your pass.
3. After creating your account, you will be prompted to check your email. Look for the confirmation message, which should arrive within 15 minutes.
4. Click the link in the confirmation email. This will simultaneously verify your eligibility and grant your Academic Pass, which will provide access to NYTimes.com for 52 weeks.
5. If you don’t get the confirmation email, check your spam filter. If you still do not receive it, send an email from your ECC email account to edu@nytimes.com.

Ongoing Use: Once you have activated your Academic Pass, you should have full access for 52 weeks (364 days) with no further action on your part. If you see a message that you are reaching the limit of free articles on the site, you’re probably not logged in. Simply log back in.

Renewals: Once you have activated your Academic Pass, you should have full access for 52 weeks (364 days). If you are logged in and you see a message that you are reaching the limit of free articles on the site or an invitation to purchase, you may need to renew your Academic Pass. Please note: you cannot renew prior to the expiration date of your Academic Pass.

Smartphone Apps: Your Academic Pass includes access to the NYTimes smartphone apps. Also, once you have registered your Academic Pass, you can access nytimes.com on most web-capable devices.

Restrictions:

• Academic Passes do not include print copies, e-reader editions, Premium Crosswords, or the NYTimes Crosswords app.
• Academic Passes offer very limited access to articles from 1923 to 1980. However, ECC has access to that content through the library’s subscription to the New York Times Archive database, accessible on the library website.
• If you have a personal subscription that includes features not available through the Academic Pass, you may not want to cancel your subscription. (Or you might want to cancel only part of your subscription.)

Contact Beth Hultman, Public Services Librarian, at 847-214-7174 if you need further assistance.