The Mossey Library faculty would like to thank the Editorial Staff for their March 20 article, “Give Students The Free Press.” We would very much like to do so! In fact, we have been in discussions with the publisher regarding a subscription since the spring of 2023. We agree that the publication is an important platform and that its content is relevant to our curriculum. 

The Free Press is an excellent example of born-digital content with easy access for individuals willing to pay for a subscription. It is not available, however, as an institutional subscription paid for through a library budget. To its credit, the publisher is aware of the issue, and working on setting up that kind of access, but some publishers are either unable or unwilling to do so. It is a serious problem, as it leaves some content unavailable to most people. Librarians of all sorts are working with publishers to find solutions, but in the meantime, access to information is not what it should be in a free society. 

We do expect to be able to offer access to The Free Press in the future and will announce access in the Faculty/Staff and S.A.O. newsletters as soon as we have it. We are grateful for all suggestions regarding subscriptions and other acquisitions at any time, so please let us know when you notice gaps in the collection. Brandon Hugo (bhugo@hillsdale.edu) manages the electronic resources and subscriptions, and Aaron Kilgore (akilgore@hillsdale.edu) is in charge of physical book purchases.

Thank you for your help in developing the Library’s collection!

 

Maurine McCourry is the director of the Mossey Library.