Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions - Home

• How can I access AVL from home?
  The Alabama Virtual Library uses geo-location technology to authenticate Alabama residents, and this technology will allow most Alabama residents access to AVL from their homes without the need for a username and password.
  
  If the geolocation technology is unable to "recognize" a user as an Alabama resident, then residents may login with an AVL Card. For additional information on geolocation, click here.
  
  AVL Cards may also be used to gain access when a resident is traveling outside the state. Visit your local public library to request an AVL (remote access) card. K-12 students/staff in public schools may obtain a card from their school library.
• Is there a fee to access this information?
  No. AVL resources are provided to all Alabama citizens by funding from the Alabama Legislature.
• What are the policies regarding Home Access?
  The Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) provides a world of quality library information licensed for Alabama citizens. Materials include magazine articles, newspapers, encyclopedias, and other reference sources. Personal information collected during AVL card registration will only be used to authenticate users for AVL and to provide updates on the AVL and its databases.
  
  AVL databases are for personal use. The databases are licensed for use by Alabama citizens, students/staff at Alabama public schools, and users of Alabama public libraries. Please keep your password secure and private. Use of the AVL by unauthorized users outside of Alabama will jeopardize use of the databases by all Alabama citizens.
  
  An AVL user may not sell, distribute or commercially exploit a product nor make an AVL database available on a network or through remote access technology. Misuse of services provided by AVL may result in denial of service.
  
  An AVL user must have Internet access. General knowledge of web browser and simple search forms is recommended. Searching tips and general database information are available through help screens and tutorials.
• Where can I get an AVL Card and how may it be used?
  Visit your local public library to request an AVL (remote access) card. K-12 students/staff in public schools may obtain a card from their school library.
  
  Renewal - Cards should be renewed every 3 years at the issuing library. If a patron moves, a new card may be obtained from the public library or school system where the patron resides upon expiration. When a patron continues to reside in the same community or attend school in the same school system, cards are not "reissued"; they are simply "renewed". A message will notify the patron 30 days before the card expire. Note: access may be denied (at any time) by AVL if access is abused.
  
  Retrieve my Password - Contact the issuing library or the AVL Help Desk for your logon information.
• How do I let someone know that a password has been compromised or shared with others who should not have access?
  Contact your local Alabama library and provide as much information as possible including the user name of the compromised account. The AVL technical staff will review access records to verify the report. If the review indicates that the account has been compromised, the password will be deactivated.
• What are the minimum browser requirements?
  Acceptable browsers are Internet Explorer 8 and higher, Firefox 3 and higher, Safari 4 and higher, or other standards compliant browser. If you are using an older version of these browsers you may experience formatting errors or broken pages. For security reasons you should always download the most recent version of your favorite browser.
• What constitutes abuse of AVL access?
  An AVL user may not sell, distribute or commercially exploit a product nor make an AVL database available on a network or through remote access technology. Misuse of services provided by AVL may result in denial of service.
• I tried to log in, but it wouldn't let me. What could be wrong?
  1. Are you entering your password correctly?
  Verify your password. Did you transpose i/1/I or o/O/0? Original passwords do not contain numbers.
  
  2. Do you have cookies and JavaScript enabled?
  Confirm that cookies and JavaScript are enabled. See the HELP feature for your browser for more information on resetting these options.
  
  3. Is your computer's clock set correctly?
  Make sure that your computer's clock is set to the correct time. Your AVL cookie is valid for a two hour time period.
  
  4. Have you previously set up your computer to access the AVL through the Jefferson County Library Cooperative?
  The JCLC offers remote access to all AVL databases along with additional databases licensed for Jefferson County patrons. If you are a Jefferson County library patron, you do not need a separate AVL card. Visit the JCLC web site for additional information. top
• I was able to log in, and I can access the AVL resources. But when I do a search, I get an error message about having "insufficient credentials". What could be wrong?
  Are you using AOL or CompuServe? Some AOL/CS users may experience difficulty accessing certain AVL resources. This stems from the non-standard way that the integrated AOL/CS interface handles referral pages. AOL/CS users should minimize their special browsers and use Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari to access the AVL. At the browser's location prompt, type in www.avl.lib.al.us and proceed as normal.
  
  Do you have a firewall/security software installed? If you use Norton's Suite of security programs, you may find it necessary to disable Privacy Control (Norton Personal Firewall).
  
  Some vendors use referral pages to authenticate AVL users. The vendor's server needs to recognize that you just left the AVL website. Some personal firewall/privacy software can strip this referral information. It is the network equivalent of blocking caller ID on your phone.

  It may be necessary to add the AVL database providers to a bypass list. Many firewall/privacy software vendors include excellent help files. Search for words such as "bypass list" or "exception list". The specific domains to include are:

  140.234.*.*
  63.208.197.*
  *.epnet.com
  *.galegroup.com
  *.sirs.com
  72.164.152.*
  204.179.122.*

  Is your Internet Explorer privacy setting set too high?
  Your Internet Explorer privacy settings may be set too high. Go to the "Tools" menu and select "Internet Options". Click the "Privacy" tab and make sure your settings are "medium" or lower.
  
  Are you using an Apple computer?
  If so, EBSCO recommends that Apple users use the latest version of Firefox or Safari.
• I am a K-12 media specialist. What are the policies regarding K-12 card use, and how do I issue cards to my students?

  K12 Home Access Card FAQs

  AVL Administrators' Page for K-12 Cards

  Most Alabama students no longer need an AVL Card for home access. Please see the Geolocation section of the website for additional information.

   

   

  If we didn't put an expiration date on the card, wouldn't the child be able to keep the same card year after year?

  The card must be renewed not reissued every 3 years. All renewal requires is that the student go to the issuing library, the librarian pulls up that student's record and clicks the "renew" button. The expiration date on the card is a visual reminder that the card expires 3 years from the date of issue. Thirty days prior to expiration date, upon patron login, the AVL will give the user a warning of expiration. Once the card expires, the user must renew the card before he can login.

  How do I get more K-12 AVL cards?

  E-mail the AVL Help Desk at avlhelpdesk@asc.edu.

   

  I tried to log in but my password did not work.

  There is an error in the training manual. Please make sure the address is correct:
  https://www.avl.lib.al.us/cgi-bin/students/student.cgi.

  How will you notify schools of changes in the program?

  We will primarily use the ALMS listserv. Please encourage other librarians in your system to join the alms list. E-mail Terry Atchison at tatchison@alsde.edu for more information.

  Can I issue a card to staff at the central office?

  Yes. We added a "Central Office" option to the pull-down listing of schools for staff who are not based at one particular school.

   

  How can I delete students?

  There is no "delete" button. The easiest way to have students deleted is to

  • login to the site where you issue cards
  • mark each student (that you wish to delete) as "Access Denied"
  • notify the AVL Help Desk that you are ready to have the "Access Denied" students deleted

  Our school has grades 6-8. At the beginning of the year, our 6th grade students are still listed under their elementary school, and our last year's 8th grade students (who are now 9th graders) are still listed under our school instead of the high school. How do I fix this?

  Each year, AVL Technical Support automatically increments the grade level for each student with a card. However, media specialists at the individual schools must coordinate with each other to manually change the school that the students are associated with. To manually change the school affiliation of each student,

  • login to the site where you issue cards
  • edit the students that need to be affiliated with a different school
  • make the changes and "Submit" or "Renew"

  Can I output my student data into a label program?
  Here is a round-about way to do this if you use Internet Explorer.
  1. Log in at the adminstrators' page.
  2. From the left column, choose 'Search for Student'.
  3. On the next screen, you will see a number of search boxes that allow you to use pull down menus or enter text to narrow your search. On the first line labeled 'Search by', use the pull-down menu to select "School ID" and enter the ID number for your school in the box to the right. On the second line labeled 'Then by', use the pull-down menu to select a specific grade. If you leave this line untouched, you will get a list of all students entered in your school.
  4. Click the 'Search' button.
  5. The next screen displays a summary of student data matching your search in an HTML table. IE allows you to copy this table (Control+C) and paste it directly into Word or Excel. You may then use the data with your favorite mail-merge application to print labels for your cards.
     
  Can you share a sample letter to the parents?
  Here are two letters that were used when AVL began:

  • Arab High School, contributed by Sue Kennedy, media coordinator
  • Madison City Schools, contributed by Kathy Rains, technology coordinator

  If you would like to share your letter with the other schools, please forward a copy to avlhelpdesk@asc.edu.
  

• I'm a librarian in a public library or a postsecondary institution. How do I issue AVL Cards?

  Login to the Admin site and enter the user's information.

  Administrator Site to Issue Cards (postsecondary & public libraries)

• How do I cite AVL resources?

  Opinions vary about how to cite online resources. Most AVL databases have information about how to cite their resources. For example, on the main page for SIRS Discoverer, there is a button on the bottom of the screen (How to Cite) which provides information about how SIRS recommends citing sources. There is also a webpage that you might find helpful,

  http://www.apastyle.org/elecsource.html

• Why can't I get the multimedia resources from Britannica to play on my computer?

  If you're having problems with any of the multimedia on Britannica Online and Britannica Online School Edition, please review the following information and share it with your technical support staff.
  
  Software Plugins
  
  The the following 3 software plug-ins are required to play the video and audio clips on Britannica Online:
  
  Microsoft Media Player ™
  Apple QuickTime ™
  Real Player ™

• How can I create an AVL icon for my desktop that will link to the AVL webpage?
  Coming soon.
• My question is not listed here. What do I do now?

  Additional Help Required

  If you need additional help, contact your local public library or the AVL Help Desk. You must provide as much detail as possible about your problem. This includes:
  
  
  • Your name, e-mail address, and a phone number for any required follow-up;
  • A description of the steps you took to access a particular database, including where you started the process, the URLs displayed or links visited, and the complete error message you were given;
  • The date and time of the problem;
  • Indicate which browser version you are using (Internet Explorer 7.0, Firefox 3.5, etc.)

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