Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library

How To Use Our New Site

1. Our Navigation Panels

Our new library website provides outside access for patrons to all the electronic resources that are available when you visit the library. Almost the entire site is available with a minimum of clicking from the front page. Most of these links appear when you point to or click on labels or headings in the light blue panel to the left and the dark blue bar above. Major categories are also available at the bottom of each page. Read the notes on the pages you access for brief instructions when necessary. If you need help, please call the library at 757-5310.

2. The Databases Link

Databases at our library include the magazine research tools we subscribe to as well as the local information directories and the photograph listings that the Local History Department compiles and maintains. To access these from the website, click on items in the drop down list that should appear when you point to Databases or simply click on Databases to avoid JavaScript.

All EbscoHost Databases:

Run the mouse over "Databases" in the light blue navigation panel. A drop-down menu will appear if you have JavaScript enabled.
Click on "EbscoHost Research Databases.
Type in your library card number without any spaces when asked for your ID number.
Click on "EBSCOhost Web."
Click in the boxes to the left of as many databases as you would like to search. MasterFILE Premier is usually enough for most searches.
Click on "Continue."
Type your search terms in the field labeled "Find." Then click "Search."

Tennessee Electronic Library:

Run mouse over "Databases." A drop-down menu will appear.
Click on "Tennessee Electronic Library.
Enter the password, "elvis" (lower case letters).
Click on "Proceed."
Click on the database that you would like to use and follow the instructions on the screen.

Use the Help buttons in the upper-right corner of the screen or call the Reference Desk at 757-5310 for more help.

3. The Reading Room

The Reading Room is a feature page covering materials that are entertaining and intellectually stimulating. There are reviews by our librarians, lists of newly acquired titles and more! The Reading Room Search specializes in finding books our patrons would most like to read. It automatically covers our catalog and two other subscription databases and is searchable by keyword, title, and author.

4. The Business Page

The Business Page will feature materials that our library has acquired for personal finance as well as the business sector. The Business Page Search automatically retreaves full text articles from two business databases and a list of books from our library catalog. This is an excellent way to speedily gather background information about companies, income tax, real estate and industry. This feature is located in the navigation panel on the Business Page and is searchable by keyword, title, and author.

5. Search Catalog & Magazine Articles

This label opens our full-feature tool for locating materials both in the library and our subscription databases. The top of this page is a speed search that automatically returns a list of books in our catalog and full-text articles from two general information magazine databases. The Advanced Search section of this finding aid, located below the General Search option, allows the experienced user to select particular databases, specify the publication dates and include article citations where only the abstract is available. These options will allow our patrons to avoid irrelevant information and see a more comprehensive list of all the available information on your topic. Even though we may not be able to provide certain articles in full text at our library, we can use other low-cost means such as Interlibrary Loan to acquire them for you.

6. Your Account

The Your Account button, located in the dark blue panel at the top of the page, will open a log-in screen that permits access to information about the books you have checked out, items you have placed on hold, or fines and fees you have accrued in association with checking out our materials. The library does not keep a record of books you have checked out and returned in the past, only those which you now have, are waiting for, or owe fines for.

After you enter your library card number and last name, a summary screen will open with links to more specific information about each entry. At this time, information about printing fees is not available online. For any information about your account that you cannot access from the website, please call 757-5315.

This page is Bobby Approved