LibGuides: English 101: English Composition I: Doing Research

The first step in starting research is to check the library's online catalog for books.

Using Alabama Virtual Library

Articles can be accessed through Alabama Virtual Library. Below are the ways to access Alabama Virtual Library.

To access AVL on-campus, simply use any campus-based computer.
To access AVL off-campus, please fill out the online registration form to register for a username and password.*
AVL Registration Form

Any registration form received outside of the following hours will be processed the next business day.

Monday - Thursday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Friday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm

Saturday & Sunday CLOSED

* Note: Alabama Virtual Library will send you an email with your login information on how to setup your password. You will receive an email from avlhelpdesk@asc.edu. Passwords are case-sensitive. AVL accounts will expire 5 years from issuance date.

Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) resources are available to students on and off campus. Students enrolled in a collage or university cannot directly submit registration form to the Alabama Public Library System (APLS) for AVL access and passwords. To receive off campus access to AVL resources, you must complete a registration form through the CVCC library during the following hours:

Monday - Thursday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Friday 8:00 am - 12:00 pm

Saturday & Sunday CLOSED

The registration form for AVL access can be found on the LRC's webpage under library forms or use the following link: Alabama Virtual Library Registration Form.

If a form is submitted outside the above times, or during campus closures, the library staff will submit the form to the Alabama Virtual library the following business day. All requests to remote (off-campus) AVL access must be submitted by CVCC library staff.

NOTE: The APLS is responsible for maintaining the website, databases, and assigning passwords not CVCC. If there are delays in receiving passwords after the students have submitted the request form, or if there are problems logging onto the AVL website, student need to contact the Alabama Virtual Library's helpdesk at Alabama Virtual Library Helpdesk.

Literature & Language

Academic Search Premier
Academic Search Premier curates and indexes open access journals. Academic Search Premier content includes:

- 2,258 full-text, non-open journals
- 1,955 active full-text, peer-reviewed, non open access journals
- 512 active full-text, peer-reviewed, non open access to journals with no embargo
- 1,785 active full-text, non open access journals indexed in Web of Science or Scopus
- 75,000 videos from the Associated Press that is updated monthly
- Covers topics such as Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Psychology, and more
Gale General OneFile
Gale General OneFile provides access to magazine, news, and journal articles on general interest topics and currents events. Gale General OneFile content includes:

- Publication Search
- Browse by topic including Careers, Education, Health, and more
Gale Literary Index
Gale Literary Index is a master index for the major literature products that are published by Gale. Gale Literary Index content includes:

- Over 130 literature products from Gale
- Imprints from Charles Scribner's Sons, St. James Press, and Twayne Publishers
- Cross reference author names and listings for titles of works
- Access to complete biographies on authors and critical essays on their writings
Gale Literature
Gale Literature provides researchers with the ability to cross search Gale's literary resources. These resources include:

- Gale Literature Resource Center
- Gale Literature: LitFinder
- Gale Literature: Contemporary Authors
- Gale Literature: Twayne's Authors Series
- Gale Literature: Scribner Writers Series and more
Gale Literature: Scribner Writer Series
Gale Literature: Scribner Writer Series provides access to original scholarly essays on authors from all around the world. Gale Literature: Scribner Writer Series content includes:

- Essays on the lives and works of authors
- Biographical information on the authors and their works
- Citation information and more
Gale Literature: Twayne's Author Series
Gale Literature: Twayne's Author Series introduces researchers to the lives and works of major writers. Gale Literature: Twayne's Author Series content includes:

- Analysis of major writers
- Context for the time period that the writers lived in
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary provides access to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of 600,000 words from across the English-speaking world. Oxford English Dictionary content includes:

- 638,812 words
- 870,734 senses
- 3,775,931 quotations
- Video guides, a guide to the Historical Thesaurus, and more
- Revised and new entries are added regularly
Pronunciator
Pronunciator is an online language learning platform that allows users to learn 163 languages with personalized courses, movies, and more. Pronunciator content includes:

- 1,332,347 phrases
- 43 films
- 12,591,543 audio books
- Daily lessons
- Structured drills, quizzes, audio lessons, and more

Dictionary/Encyclopedia

Britannica Academic
Britannica Academic is designed for college and university libraries and provides access to comprehensive information, as well as the combination of Encyclopedia Britannica plus Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus. Britannica Academic content includes:

- 106,617 articles
- 58,621 photos
- 3,857 videos
- 554 magazines and journals
- 34,046 eBooks
Encyclopedia of Alabama
The Encyclopedia of Alabama provides free access to reference resources on the culture, geography, history, and natural environment of Alabama.
Funk and Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia is a K-8 resource that is made available through EBSCO's Primary Search database. Primary Search provides access to:

- 105 full-text children's magazines
- Ongoing full-text for popular children's magazines including Ask, Click, Cobblestone, Ladybug, and more
- Active full text for Crick Media publications including Girl's Life, Highlights, Ranger Rick, Scout Life, Zoobooks, and more
Gale eBooks
Gale E-Books is a collection of e-books that covers a multitude of subjects including early learning, history, education, business, science, arts, and more.
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary provides access to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of 600,000 words from across the English-speaking world. Oxford English Dictionary content includes:

- 638,812 words
- 870,734 senses
- 3,775,931 quotations
- Video guides, a guide to the Historical Thesaurus, and more
- Revised and new entries are added regularly
Oxford Reference
Oxford Reference provides access to Oxford University Press's Encyclopedias and Companions, and a selection of partner publishers’ scholarly works. Oxford Reference content includes:

- 466 books
- 2,279,165 entries
- New titles and editions are added throughout the year
- Subjects include Art and Architecture, History, Law, Philosophy, Religion, Science and Technology, and more

E-Books

Biomedicine & Life Sciences
The Biomedical and Life Sciences eBook Collection provides access to up-to-date resources from trusted authors working around the world. The Biomedical and Life Sciences eBook Collection covers topics such as patterns of infectious transmissions, processes that are responsible for loss of biodiversity, and more.
Book Coneections (TeachingBooks)
Book Connections is a separate interface from TeachingBooks and is designed to meet the needs of public libraries. Book Connections content includes:

- 1,903 complete book readings
- 15,735 read-along audiobook performances
- Support assignments on books and authors
- Library Programming, Diverse Books Toolkit, Homeschool Support and more
Business Plans Handbook
Business Plans Handbook is a collection of eBooks that contains actual business plans complied by and aimed at entrepreneurs seeking funding for small businesses. Business Plans Handbook content includes:

- Volumes 21 to 39 of the Business Plans Handbook
- Sample plans from business in the manufacturing, retail, and service industries.
Consumer Health Reference eBook Collection
Consumer Health Reference eBook Collection is a complimentary reference eBook collection for Consumer Health Complete.
Drama for Students E-Book Subcollection
Available: Volume 1 (1998) - Volume 29 (2012)
Energy
ringer Nature Energy eBooks provides access to resources on the need for more efficient and less climate impacting energy and fuels.
Gale eBooks
Gale E-Books is a collection of e-books that covers a multitude of subjects including early learning, history, education, business, science, arts, and more.
Gale Literature: Scribner Writer Series
Gale Literature: Scribner Writer Series provides access to original scholarly essays on authors from all around the world. Gale Literature: Scribner Writer Series content includes:

- Essays on the lives and works of authors
- Biographical information on the authors and their works
- Citation information and more
History Reference Center eBook Collection
History Reference Center eBook companion collection for EBSCO History Reference Center. History Reference Center eBooks Collection contains nonfiction and reference books from top educational publishers and dozens of university presses.
MAS Reference eBook Collection
MAS Reference eBook Collection is a complimentary reference eBook collection for MAS Reference Ultra: School Edition. MAS Reference eBook Collection contains nonfiction and reference books from top educational publishers and dozens of university presses.
MasterFILE Reference eBook Collection
MasterFILE Reference eBook Collection is a complimentary reference eBook collection for MasterFILE Premier. MasterFILE Reference eBook Collection contains nonfiction and reference books from top educational publishers and dozens of university presses.
MAS Ultra School Edition
MAS Ultra: School Edition is a full-text reference database designed for high school libraries that provides access to popular magazines and e-books covering a variety of subjects. MAS Ultra: School Edition content includes:

- 55,000 full-text primary source documents
- 450 full-text magazines
- 300 e-books (reference and non-fiction)
- 75,000 videos from the Associated Press
Novels for Students E-Book Subcollection
Available: Volume 1 (1998) - Volume 41 (2013)
Oxford Reference
Oxford Reference provides access to Oxford University Press's Encyclopedias and Companions, and a selection of partner publishers’ scholarly works. Oxford Reference content includes:

- 466 books
- 2,279,165 entries
- New titles and editions are added throughout the year
- Subjects include Art and Architecture, History, Law, Philosophy, Religion, Science and Technology, and more
Oxford Scholarship Online
Oxford Scholarship Online provides perpetual access to books spanning the scholarly list of Oxford University Press. To find the online books that are included in the AVL subscription with Oxford Scholarship Online, users will need to enter a subject in the search box and when the results come up, users will need to click on Unlocked Free, and Open Access in the "Narrow Your Choices" box on the left.
Personal Finance E-Book Subcollection
Personal Finance E-Book Subcollection examines how much American households spend on products and services by demographics. Products and services examined include apparel, entertainment, food, health care, household furnishings, utilities, and more.
Scholarships, Fellowships, and Loans E-Book Subcollection
Scholarships, Fellowships, and Loans E-Book Subcollection provides information on sources of education related financial aid sponsored and administered by private organizations and companies. Programs and educational areas covered include Business, Computer Science, Education, Ethnic Studies, Medicine, and more.

News Resources

Academic Search Premier
Academic Search Premier curates and indexes open access journals. Academic Search Premier content includes:

- 2,258 full-text, non-open journals
- 1,955 active full-text, peer-reviewed, non open access journals
- 512 active full-text, peer-reviewed, non open access to journals with no embargo
- 1,785 active full-text, non open access journals indexed in Web of Science or Scopus
- 75,000 videos from the Associated Press that is updated monthly
- Covers topics such as Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Psychology, and more
Ethnic NewsWatch
Ethnic NewsWatch provides access to full-text journals, magazines, and newspapers of the ethnic and minority press. Ethnic NewsWatch content includes:

- Over 2.5 million full-text articles
- Information and opinions on topics not covered in mainstream publications
- Selected dissertations and working papers
- Ethnic NewsWatch: A History, which provides historical coverage of Native American, African American, and Hispanic American periodicals from 1959 to 1989
Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints
Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints provides access to credible facts and current insight into today's most debated social and political issues. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints content includes:

- Viewpoints, reference articles, videos, infographics, and more
- Topics include Current Events, Economics, Environmental Issues, Political Science, and more
Gale OneFile: Informe Academico
Gale OneFile: Informe Academico provides access to full-text Spanish and Portuguese language magazines and scholarly journals from Latin America.

- Configured for Spanish-speaking users
- Full-text scholarly journals and magazines from in and about Latin America
Newspaper Source
Newspaper Source provides cover-to-cover full-text for hundreds of national, international and regional newspapers, as well as television and radio transcripts from major networks. Newspaper Source content includes:

- Over 520 full-text newspapers
- Over 33 million full-text articles
Points of View Reference Center
Points of View Reference Center contains resources that present multiple sides of an issue. Points of View Reference Center content includes:

- 520 topics each with an overview, point, and counterpoint and Guide to Critical Analysis
- Topics include Big Tech and Antitrust Law, Gender Equity in Professional Sports, Indian Child Welfare Act, Repatriation of Cultural Artifacts, and more