This spring, The Atlantic magazine was added to the catalogue of complementary subscriptions provided to students by the Oliver Wendell Holmes Library (OWHL). The publication joins The New York Times, The Economist, and The Financial Times. Students and faculty discussed the introduction of this addition, as well as the platforms by which they generally obtain their news.
The Atlantic is a magazine known for its in-depth reporting on business, culture, politics, foreign affairs, technology, and science. According to Camille Torres Hoven, Director of the OWHL, the addition of The Atlantic marks the resolution of long-standing accessibility challenges.
“Previously, we had limited access through print copies and databases, but those formats were not ideal. We even had a workaround where library staff would log into a shared account and send articles to students upon request, which was not sustainable. When I first arrived, I pushed for broader access similar to what we have for The New York Times, but at the time the infrastructure did not exist. Recently, The Atlantic introduced better academic subscription options, which made it possible for us to provide direct access,” said Torres Hoven.
Tessa Hite, Instruction and Electronic Resource Librarian, explained that the addition of The Atlantic will also allow students to engage with a unique publication that expands the diversity of the currently offered new outlets.
“The Atlantic emphasizes long-form journalism and in-depth analysis. While it still covers current events, it often goes beyond headlines to provide deeper context. It also offers a distinct perspective compared to other publications like The New York Times or The Economist. Each outlet has its own tone, structure, and audience. Having multiple sources allows students to compare viewpoints and develop a more nuanced understanding of issues,” said Hite.
Despite the OWHL’s ongoing effort to expand and diversify subscriptions, some students remain unaware of any change. Mari Uchino Garcia ’29 shared that she was oblivious to these resources, but sees how they could enrich her classroom experience.
“I haven’t used the school-provided subscriptions as I didn’t know about them. I also haven’t used them in class. If I were to use them in class, it would help a lot because you would get to be really well informed about the current events in the day. And in class, like specifically history class, there can be a lot of connections made to the past and what’s happening right now,” said Garcia.
While the subscriptions go unseen for some, other students feel like newspapers have impacted their daily routine. Phillip Molina ’28 reflected on how he downloaded the New York Times after learning about its availability.
“I’ve downloaded The New York Times on my phone, and about three times a day, I skim through the headlines to see what’s happening, especially politically, and also read lifestyle articles and play games,” said Molina.
Torres Hoven elaborated on the OWHL staff’s aims to foster meaningful connections with journalism for both students and teachers in and outside of the classroom.
“Students here are curious and engaged, and they want to discuss current events. Having reliable access to news sources supports those conversations, both in and out of the classroom. It also helps teachers assign readings more effectively. Digital access improves accessibility. Students can enlarge text, listen to articles, and engage with content in different ways, which benefits a wide range of learners,” said Torres Hoven.
Many teachers acknowledge the subscriptions as useful resources for learning. Marcelle Doheny, an Instructor in History, shared her strategy for selecting articles in class.
“I have occasionally used articles from all sorts of different publications. Sometimes you’re dealing with topics in history where it helps to bring things up to date a little bit. But you have to be careful when you’re using newspapers, because they tend to have an opinion, so you have to kind of introduce it and use it carefully,” said Doheny.
Doheny emphasized the importance of long-form journalism in an era where short headlines on social media dominate people’s attention.
Doheny continued, “These [newspaper sources] are very important. We hear a lot of our news in very sort of short bursts on social media sites and other platforms online. Even though these are posted online, they’re longer texts, they’re longer articles. You get better information and more analysis through newspapers, of course.”
