Q. How do I read the New York Times online using the library's subscription?

You will need your library card number and library PIN/password handy to log in. Then follow the steps below steps to access NYT. 

• Start at Baltimore County Public Library's (BCPL's) home page at (www.bcpl.info).
• Select the Books and More tab and a menu will drop down.
• Select Digital Library or Research Databases. 
• Scroll down the list and select the New York Times (NYT) link. Or you can use this link to get to BCPL's NYT page. 
• You should land on a BCPL page that says, "Enjoy Free Access to NYTimes.com" and there will be 2 links to chose from:
  • 'Access from inside the library' or
  • 'Access from outside the library'.
• Select the Access from outside the library link. 
• Now you will land on the library account login screen where you will sign in with your library card number and library PIN/password. 
• You should be redirected to NYT page that says, "Redeem your code for digital access to The New York Times".
• Click the REDEEM button and you will be prompted to "Log in or create a New York Times account". 
• Once you do that you can install the NYT mobile app and log in with the same email and password. Do not try to log into the app before completing the process detailed above.  
• NOTE: The code expires every 3 days (72 hours). After 72 hours, you must go through the library's website to redeem a new code, then log into your NYT account. If you use the NYT mobile app, close it before you log in through the library's site. After logging in through the library site, wait a few minutes before opening the app.     

New Users:

• If you have not created a NYT account yet, enter your email address and create a password. You can make it the same as your library account password,  but it does not have to be the same.
• You will land on a page that says, "Stay updated with topics you care about with newsletters". Click to checkmark and select any newsletters you want to receive by email. Or uncheck all the boxes if you don't want to receive newsletters from NYT.
• Click the SAVE AND CONTINUE button at the bottom of that page. 
• You will land on a page that says, "Get the App..."  If are using a mobile device and you want the NYT mobile app then follow the prompts to get it. If you are using a computer and/or you don't want the app then ignore that and select "Start reading The Times". 

See the following video for directions with screenshots: Accessing The New York Times at Home

Returning Users:

• After logging into your library account and then your NYT account, look towards the bottom of the page and click the Continue button.
• You may be prompted to "set up" your account by selecting any email newsletters you want to get from NYT. Uncheck all the boxes if you don't want these.
• For the 3 days following redeeming a new code, if you are using the same device and web browser, you should be able to go directly to the NYT website (nytimes.com) and it should allow you access without logging in. 
• If you go back through the library's website before your 3 days (72 hours) have expired, you may see a screen that says, "It looks like you are already a subscriber." but with no obvious way to get to the NYT. To get past that, click on The New York Times logo/mast head at the top of the page. 
• Once your 3 days are past, if you go to the NYT site, it will block you from logging in and at that point you must return to BCPL's website, go through BCPL's website to the NYT page again. 
• If you are reading in the mobile app, you should not have to log into the app more than once. However, when the code expires (every 72 hours), you must:
  • Go through the library's website,
  • Log into your library account and log into your NYT account and redeem a new access code. 
  • Wait a few minutes before opening the NYT mobile app. It should allow you access shortly after you log in and redeem the new code through BCPL's website.

Troubleshooting: 
If you see an ad in the NYT app or on the web site asking you sign up and pay for a subscription, be sure you have logged into your library account and also into your NYT account via BCPL's Research Databases page or Digital Library page within the last 72 hours. If you go back through the library's site before your 72 hours / 3 days have expired, you may see a screen that says, "It looks like you are already a subscriber." To get past this page, click on The New York Times logo/mast head at the top of the page and you should be able to read the newspaper. If the problems persists then try the steps below based on what kind of device the issue is happening on.

Computer users:
Try checking your web browser for updates, or try using a different (up-to-date) web browser. If that does not solve the problem, you might also try clearing your web browser's cache. Then try to access NYT via BCPL's Research Databases page or Digital Library page again.

Mobile App users:
Try logging into your NYT account via BCPL's NYT page first. If the problem persists on the mobile app, try changing your device's connection from wi-fi to cellular or vice versa. If that does not resolve it, try closing all your open apps, power off your device for a few minutes, power back on, make sure you are connected to wi-fi (if possible) and try the NYT app again.