As of January 2026, the Simmons University Library stopped offering free access to the Boston Globe. Library Director Vivienne Piroli says the library had many reasons to cancel the subscription.
One major reason was inflated subscription prices. Over the past ten years, Piroli says that the Globe’s price increased about 5% annually, but could be as high as 8% to 9% some years, costs she calls “incredibly expensive.”
Limited access to the Globe was another deciding factor. When the library switched to a digital subscription during COVID-19, the Globe placed a capped number of access points, where a controlled number of devices can sign in to their website at a time.
“Libraries are built upon the philosophy of giving access to information to our patrons,” says Piroli. Limiting access went against the library’s principles.
The Globe’s business model also only sells packages, where several journals, or a group of articles of one topic or from a period of time, are compiled into one collection. Larger packages hold more journals but cost more.
For many of these packages, few are ever read. “I will see a package of hundreds of journals,” says Piroli, “and there may be 10 in there that have high use, and then… you’ll come across another 100, maybe 200 that have zero uses.”
Although this may be true, faculty and students have expressed that this decision has still had an impact on their academic careers.
For Carla Kath, Associate Professor of Practice in the Communications department, the loss means finding new ways to access class resources. Kath planned to use services like the Globe for her Introduction to Public Relations and Integrated Marketing Communications class.
“Students are following a brand of their choice this semester…really digging into PR topics like media relations,” she says. “One of the best ways to do that is to read about those brands in the news,” Kath continues. “What quotes are being shared from spokespeople and brand leadership?”
Since the Library no longer offers the Globe, library staff pointed her towards the Boston Public Library (BPL), which provides access to cardholders. “I am glad that another clear pathway was provided for me and my students,” she says.
However, the BPL offers free services for only three days, after which cardholders have to resubscribe. The BPL’s plan also has a limited number of access points.
For Katherine Haley, a first-year commuter student, the Simmons Library is the perfect place to study and relax. “90% of the time I spend in this building is in the library… as a commuter, it’s the only place I have to go after class,” she says.
Although Haley did not know that the library offered free access to the Globe, she says, “I would have used it… I love free things.” For Haley, articles like those offered by the Globe are “pretty trustworthy as sources, so it’s a bummer to lose that.”
“We knew it wasn’t going to be a popular decision,” says Piroli. However, the library still offers resources that can fill the Globe’s gap.
Simmons community members can use the Ask a Librarian feature on the library’s website. This feature allows students to chat or meet via Zoom or in person with library staff. “They really want to work with students,” Piroli says.
Simmons community members and Massachusetts residents may access the Boston Globe for free using their Boston Public Library card. Cardholders may register through the BPL website here.
