Using Alabama Virtual Library
Articles can be accessed through Alabama Virtual Library. Below are the ways to access Alabama Virtual Library.
Any registration form received outside of the following hours will be processed the next business day.
Monday - Thursday 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Friday 8:00 am - 2:30 pm
Sunday 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
* Note: Alabama Virtual Library will send you an email with your login information shortly. For immediate use, the library staff will email you temporary credentials to use. The temporary credentials will expire after two weeks.
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 - 8:00 pm
Friday 8:00 am - 2:30 pm
Sunday 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
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.
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The CVCC Library Hours of Operation |
|
|---|---|
| Monday |
8:00am - 8:00pm |
| Tuesday |
8:00am - 8:00pm |
| Wednesday |
8:00am - 8:00pm |
| Thursday |
8:00am - 8:00pm |
| Friday | 8:00am - 2:30pm |
| Saturday | CLOSED |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
| Holidays | CLOSED |
Check the NEWS AND MESSAGES section on the Home Tab of the library's online catalog for changes or additional closures or check the library's online calendar listed on our online catalog or our Owen Hall guide.
Using EBSCOhost Search
To access EBSCOhost Search:
From the Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) Homepage, click “All Resources” at the top of the page.
Then scroll through the list and choose EBSCOhost Search.
The homepage will open up and look like this:
This database is known as a multi-base, meaning it searches multiple databases at one time. The databases that are searched using this database are:
You can also choose which databases EBSCOhost searches by clicking on Choose Databases.
You can search by keyword, subject, publication title, or entire document. There are also many Search Options that you can use to try and narrow your search which are located on the Home page. For an example, I am going to search “Affordable Care Act.” The results page will look like this:
The blue hyperlinks will take you directly to the article. The title of the publication, the date, page number, and word count will be listed for each article. It will also say if it is a full text or PDF.
The toolbar shown above will be at the left side of the screen. With it you can limit the search results to show only full text articles. You can also narrow your search down by related subjects, document types, publication titles, and publication dates. This is a useful tool for when your search brings back too many results. It will help you narrow your information down to what you need.
When you find an article you want to view, click on it, and it will open up in a window that looks like this:
The title of the article, authors, source and date will be listed at the top of the page. At the top right is a tool box that allows you to print, highlight and take notes, send to Google Drive, email, export (various formats), cite, save to a folder, get a Permalink, share to various social media platforms.
The screen above only gives you a brief overview of the article called a Detailed Record. On the left side of the Detailed Record, you may see a listing of the different full text types (PDF or HTML). To access the full text for the document, choose the one that will work best for you. Some results may have one, both, or none of these. Those that don't have either will not have the full text available.
We hope that this tutorial will help you with your use of EBSCOhost Search. If you have any questions, please ask us at the Access Services Desk inside the Owen Hall Library & Learning Resource Center or click on the Contact Us tab above.