Feature Article
Alabama Virtual Library (AVL)
Alabama Supercomputer Authority (ASA) is proud to serve as the exclusive technical partner for the Alabama Virtual Library (AVL).
ASA hosts the AVL server, operates the AVL Help Desk, supports libraries in maintenance of IP address database and vendor communication, and provides remote authentication for AVL Home Users. Any Alabama resident may obtain a Home Access Card at their local public library. Staff and students may also obtain a Home Access Card at their local public school library. To date, over 720,000 Home Access Cards have been issued.
What is AVL?
The Alabama Virtual Library provides all students, teachers, and citizens of the State of Alabama with online access to essential library and information resources. It is comprised primarily of a group of online databases that have magazine, journal, and newspaper articles for research. Through the AVL, an equitable core of information sources is available to every student and citizen in Alabama, raising the level of excellence in schools and communities across the state.
History
Since FY1999-2000, the State has appropriated funding for the Alabama Virtual Library. AVL is managed by a governing council with three representatives from each of the five participating agencies--the Alabama Department of Education, the Alabama College System, the Alabama Council on Higher Education, the Alabama Public Library Service, and the Alabama Supercomputer Authority.
If you enjoy the benefits that AVL brings to your school, college, library or home, please take a few minutes to thank your local legislators for providing this resource for the State of Alabama.
Help Desk Support
The AVL Help Desk can be reached Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. by calling 256.971.7487 or 1.800.276.0370. Voice-mail is available for reporting after-hours problems. You may send e-mail questions and comments to us at avlhelpdesk@asc.edu.
Current Databases Provided by AVL
| Academic Search Premier | History Reference Center |
| AccessScience | Informe (Spanish) |
| African-American History and Culture | InfoTrac OneFile |
| Alt HealthWatch | InfoTrac Student Edition |
| Annals of American History Online | Kids InfoBits |
| ArticleFirst | Kids Search |
| Auto Repair Reference Center | LegalTrac |
| Biography Reference Bank | Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts |
| Book Collection: Nonfiction | Literary Reference Center |
| Britannica Online Academic Edition | Literature Resource Center |
| Britannica Online Public Library Edition | LitFinder (Poems) (Stories) (Essays) (Plays) (Speeches) |
| Britannica Online School Edition | MasterFILE Premier |
| Business and Company Resource Center | MEDLINE |
| Business Index | Military & Government Collection |
| Business Source Premier | Newspaper Source |
| Clase and Periodica | Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center |
| Clinical Pharmacology | Oxford English Dictionary |
| Contemporary Authors | Oxford Reference Online Premium |
| Contemporary Literary Criticism | PapersFirst |
| Dictionary of Literary Biography | ProceedingsFirst |
| EBSCO Search (French) (German) (Spanish) | Professional Collection |
| Electronic Collections Online | Professional Development Collection |
| Encyclopedia of Animals | PubMed |
| ERIC | Regional Business News |
| Ethnic NewsWatch | Scribner Writers Series |
| Expanded Academic ASAP | Serials Solutions |
| FirstSearch by OCLC | SIRS Discoverer |
| Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia | SIRS Knowledge Source |
| Gale PowerSearch | Student Research Center |
| Gale Virtual Reference Library | Twayne's Authors Series |
| General Reference Center Gold | Vocational and Career Collection |
| GPO Monthly Catalog | World Almanac |
| Health Source: Consumer Edition | WorldCat |
| Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition |