Leek group guide to reading scientific papers

This is a great introduction to accessing the world of serious, sophisticated knowledge. But could someone discuss ways a layperson can get access to these expensive publications?

Subcribing one at a time is very to prohibitively expensive, especially as an individual. Options like joining a university library or JSTOR are also pricey and often too inconvenient: In my brief look at U. libraries, they wouldn't allow remote access to the information, requiring in-person visits.

Google Scholar is nice, but often points to articles that are inaccessible.