Library Resources
Online Public Access Catalog
Anyone can access the Academy’s Online Public Access Catalog and search the books that are available on campus. Additionally, students may check out books and have them mailed.
Resource Databases
You may access the resource databases through any of your online courses in the Course Management System. At the top of each course, there is a link in the Course Home that will take you to information about the Academy’s Online Library. Click on the Academy Online Library link. From that page, you will be able to access the databases. You may also access the resource databases by following the links below.
Online Resources
- EBSCOhost
- Among the many databases to select, it includes SportDiscus which deals exclusively with sport. To log into Ebsco, click on “login again” at the top of the screen. On the following page, select Ebscohost Web, the last choice under the second icon. It will then ask you to choose from a group of databases. Check any or all depending on your search preferences and click continue. The next page will provide your keyword search box, options of full-text only and peer-reviewed articles. Check or un-check as needed.
- Gale
- A helpful group of databases, this one is strong in the area of Law and Literature but has a wide variety of resources available. User-friendly with several other databases listed that may be selected and searched separately.
- Physical Education Index
- CSA Physical Education Index allows all researchers and professionals in the field to acquire accurate and scholarly information in this comprehensive database. These abstracts feature a wide variety of content, ranging from physical education curricula, to sports medicine, to dance. Other coverage includes sport law, kinesiology, motor learning, recreation, standardized fitness tests, sports equipment, business and marketing, coaching and training, and sport sociology/psychology. Health education and physical therapy are also covered as they continue to become more prevalent in our society.
- Proquest
- The available databases include CINAHL, a good source of medical information. ABI-Inform is business-based and will be helpful in management studies. Several major newspapers can be searched as well as Psych-Info. Digital Dissertations provides abstracts and a few full-text to theses and dissertations. It will also give you the option to purchase a thesis or dissertation. Gender Watch is very helpful for any research in the area of Title IX.
Other Resources
In addition to the database links provided above the Academy library offers access to other resources that can be very useful when conducting research. These resources can be accessed by clicking on the provided links.
- PubMed
- Access to free academic articles on medical topics is provided by the National Library Medicine.
- Alabama Virtual Library
- A consortium of academic and public libraries in Alabama has combined resources to provide access to a number of electronic databases.
- Internet Public Library
- A free, online resource provided by a number of large public libraries.
- Directory of Open Access Journals
- A site devoted to academic journals that provide free, full text access to articles on a variety of topics.
- Medical Journals
- A collection of free access medical journals with full text articles.
Another resource that students should consider is the use of inter-library loan through a library near where the student lives. Almost any library will participate in an inter-library loan program. These programs are coordinated by the Library of Congress through its digital resources (OCLC). Anyone can access the OCLC system by going to World Cat. When a search for a book is conducted and the book information is found there is a “find in a library” link that can be clicked on. This will take you to the OCLC system and allow to locate libraries that have the book. You can then go to your local library and ask for the book to be delivered to that library for you to check out.
Informational Documents
