1. Welcome to the Alabama Virtual Library (AVL)

2. What is the AVL?  AVL provides all students, teachers, and citizens of the State of Alabama with online access to essential library and information resources.

3. What can be found at the AVL?  Newspaper articles  Magazine/Journal articles  Encyclopedia articles  Biographical information  Poetry  Television and radio transcripts  Library catalogs

4.  Let’s get started!  Click on Favorite Places and go to “Welcome to the Alabama Virtual Library OR  Enter URL: http://www.avl.lib.al.us

5.  Choose location  Campus and Library  Home Access: In order to have home access, you must go to your local public library and get an access card

6.  Databases  There are an almost overwhelming number of databases.  Some are age specific.  Some are discipline specific.  Some provide a great variety of information.

7.  Databases  AccessScience – Includes:  McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology  Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms  Biographies  News articles

8.  Databases  African-American History and Culture  Biographies  Encyclopedia  Historical documents  Photo gallery  Maps and charts

9.  Databases  Alabama Libraries  Online catalogs of many Alabama libraries

10.  Databases  EBSCOHost Web  Full-text searches of magazines, journals, and trade publications  Daily news feeds from the Knight- Ridder/Tribune Business News and Knight- Ridder/Tribune News Service  Articles can be printed or emailed

11.  Databases  Electric Library  Popular magazines  Scholarly journals  Newspapers  Broadcast transcripts  Photographs  Maps  Special collections for K-12 students and elementary school students

12.  Databases  Encyclopedias  Encyclopedia Americana  Maps  Multimedia content  Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus  The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language  Wall Street Journal Almanac

13.  Databases  Encyclopedias  Encyclopedia Britannica  Complete encyclopedia  Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary  Britannica Book of the Year

14.  Databases  Encyclopedias  Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia  Academic American Encyclopedia  Comprehensive atlas  Gallery of pictures and sounds  Timelines of noteworthy events, people, ideas, and themes

15.  Databases  Encyclopedias  New Book of Knowledge – Grades 3 and up  Articles  Maps  illustrations  Projects and activities  The American Heritage Children’s Dictionary  The American Heritage Children’s Thesaurus

16.  Databases  Age specific  JuniorQuest: Junior high and middle school  Periodicals  KidsQuest: Elementary  Periodicals  World Book Encyclopedia  Searchasaurus: Elementary to middle school  New World Encyclopedia  EBSCO Encyclopedia of Animals

17.  Databases  Poemfinder  Full-text poems  Poem citations and excerpts  Biographies  Images

18.  Databases  Gale Group Literary Resources  Biographies  Essays  Criticisms of literary works  Contemporary authors  Scribner Writers Series  The Twayne Authors Series

19.  What are the benefits of using the AVL?  Abundance of relevant information  Always open  User-friendly  It’s free!  It’s FUN!!!