How to Search the Chipola Library & Databases

A step-by-step guide to finding books, articles, videos, and journals through Library Search — from logging in through Canvas to requesting materials from other Florida colleges.

For currently enrolled Chipola students Updated Fall 2026 Available 24 hours a day

About the Library & Databases

Chipola College Library is part of the Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC). FLVC is an online gateway to library materials in Florida’s 40 public state college and university libraries, including periodical indexes, full-text periodical and newspaper databases, electronic books, and the print collections of the state colleges.

Any currently enrolled student can reach Chipola’s Library Search from the Chipola College library webpage or from any course in Canvas. Online content is available 24 hours a day.

General research tips

Be as specific as possible when searching the databases — specific terms return more accurate results.
To limit results to one kind of material, such as articles, books, or videos, use the Resource Type filter.
To combine several criteria at once, use Advanced Search.
Everything in the databases is free to use — just remember to cite your sources. Check MLA formatting (or the style your instructor requires) for any work you turn in.

Getting to Library Search

There are two ways in. Either one gets you to the same Library Search page.

Option 1: From the Library & Database Search webpage

Go to www.chipola.edu/academics/support/library/.
Click Library & Database Search.
If you are already logged in to Canvas or the Chipola College network, you will be signed in automatically, and your name will appear in the top right corner of the Library Search page.

Option 2: From Canvas

Go to www.chipola.edu and hover over the Login button.
Select Canvas and log in.
Choose any course from your Canvas Dashboard.
Click Library Resources in the course navigation menu on the left.
Click the Launch Chipola button. This logs you into your library account automatically.

The Search Chipola College Library home page. A dark navy menu bar runs across the top with the links New Search, Databases A-Z, Journal Search, Local Holdings, Newspaper Search, and QR, and a round account icon at the far right. Below the page title is a search bar made up of a scope menu set to Everything, a text box reading Search anything, a microphone icon, and a magnifying glass button, followed by Ask Anything and Advanced Search links. Two large buttons sit beneath it: Library Hours and Info, and Citation Guides. — **The Library Search home page.** When you are signed in, your name appears where the account icon sits at the far right of the top menu bar.

If your name is not showing

Select the Sign in link in the top right corner. If you are prompted for a sign-in method, choose SSO, then enter your Chipola College email address and password — the same ones you use for Canvas.

Running a basic search

The main page of Library Search covers both in-house materials (books, videos, periodicals) and online resources (e-books, videos, periodicals, articles, and databases).

To run a basic search, type your term in the search box and press Enter or click the magnifying glass icon. For best results, be as specific as you can.

Once your results load, narrow them with the Tweak your results filters on the left. These include Availability, Library, Location, Resource Type, Subject, Creation Date, Author/Creator, Journal Title, Genre, Language, and Collection. You can also change the Sort by setting at the top right from Relevance to date, title, or author.

Search results for the phrase homeless veterans, showing 1 to 10 of 2,198 results. The left column, headed Tweak your results, lists collapsible filter groups: Availability expanded with checkboxes for Available online, Held by library, Open Access, and Peer-reviewed Journals, followed by Library, Location, Resource Type, Subject, Creation Date, Author/Creator, and Journal Title. The right column lists results, each labelled by type: result one is a peer-reviewed article with a Get PDF button, result two is a book titled The homeless marked Available at Chipola slash Marianna Circulation, and result three is another peer-reviewed article. — **A basic search for “homeless veterans.”** This search returned 2,198 results. Use any of the **Tweak your results** filters on the left to narrow them down.

Basic search tips

Use search operators — AND, OR, NOT, and parentheses ( ) — to narrow your results.
To see items you can check out right now, choose Held by library or Available on shelf under the Availability filter.
To see online resources only, choose Available online under the Availability filter.
To limit results to one kind of material, use the Resource Type filter.
If a search returns too few results, try a broader phrase — for example, change “Honey Bee Communication” to “Honey Bee” or “Bee Communication.”
To search beyond the library’s own holdings, select Expand My Results to include the Central Discovery Index. Note that this returns many resources from outside Chipola College Library, and you may not have access to their full text.

Reading a result

A result labelled Available at with a call number — for example Chipola/Marianna Circulation (HV4505 .H654 2007) — is a physical item on the shelf. Use the call number to find it in the library.

Using Advanced Search

To run an advanced search, click Advanced Search to the right of the search box, choose your criteria, and enter your search terms.

Under Show results from, you can limit the search to the Library Catalog, the Statewide Catalog, or Articles. In the Query area you can add search rows and set each one to a field such as Title, Author/Creator, or Subject, joined by AND, OR, or NOT. The Filters and Date areas let you set a Material Type, Language, and date range.

When your criteria are set, select the Search button at the bottom right of the Advanced Search box.

The Advanced Search panel. At the top, a Show results from menu is set to Everything. Below it, a Query area holds two search rows: each row has a Search field menu set to Any field, a Match Type menu set to contains, and a text box reading Enter a search term. The second row begins with an Operator menu set to AND, and a plus button at the right adds more rows. A Filters area has Material Type set to All items and Language set to Any language, a Date area has a menu set to All Dates, and Clear and Search buttons sit at the bottom right. — **The Advanced Search panel.** Each query row targets one field; the operator menu on the left of the second row joins the rows together.

Borrowing from other colleges and universities

The UBorrow program lets you borrow books and electronic materials from other institutions in FLVC. It is a free service for all Chipola College students and employees.

When you run a basic search, resources from other Florida colleges and universities are included automatically. To limit your search to items available through UBorrow, select Statewide Catalog from the scope menu on the left side of the search box.

A results page with the scope menu at the left of the search box changed from Everything to Statewide Catalog, with the search term homeless veterans still in the search box. The results and the Tweak your results filter column below are unchanged in layout, showing 1 to 10 of 2,198 results. — **Switching the search scope.** Choosing **Statewide Catalog** in the menu to the left of the search box limits results to materials you can request through UBorrow.

Requesting an item

Select Check for available services on the record to see its availability, including a list of the Florida colleges and universities that hold it.
Under How to get it, click UBorrow Request.
Confirm the details of your request and select Send Request.

It may take a week or so for the item to arrive. If you try to view a UBorrow resource while signed out, the system will prompt you to sign in first.

Databases, journals, and newspapers

The links in the top menu bar switch Library Search into a more focused search mode.

Databases A-Z

To search one specific database, select Databases A-Z. This opens a new window with an A-to-Z list of databases. You can filter the list by subject or search for a database by title. Once you have chosen a database, enter your search term or phrase in its search bar.

These databases contain academically and critically reviewed sources, suitable for essays and research papers.

Journal Search

To search for a specific journal, select Journal Search. The search screen changes to a journal search, where you can enter a journal title or an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN), or browse journals by category.

Newspaper Search

To find a newspaper article, select Newspaper Search. Enter the title of an article or terms related to a news item, then press Enter or click the magnifying glass icon.

Asking a librarian for help

If you are off campus and need to ask a question, select the Contact Chipola College library staff link on the Library Search page.

The lower half of the Library Search home page. Two large buttons, Library Hours and Info and Citation Guides, sit across the top. Below them, a Welcome to the library panel reads Access your account by signing in and enabling more capabilities, with a bulleted list: Reserve and renew books, Create favorites lists, View full search results, followed by a Go to my library card button. To its right, a boxed panel headed Questions? Comments? contains the link Contact Chipola College library staff. — **Where to find help.** The **Contact Chipola College library staff** link sits in the Questions? Comments? box on the library home page.

Signing in unlocks more

With your library card you can create favorites lists and view full search results.

Frequently asked questions

How can I get to the Chipola Library databases?

Open any course in Canvas. In the course navigation links on the left, find Library Resources. That link takes you straight to the Chipola College databases.

How do I get to the databases themselves?

Use the Databases A-Z tab in the top menu bar. You can pick a topic from the drop-down list, or scroll the alphabetical list of research sites. These sites hold academically and critically reviewed sources suitable for essays and research papers. Remember to check MLA formatting (or the style your instructor requires) when citing sources for work you submit.

Can I get my course textbooks through the databases?

Usually not — textbooks for Chipola courses are normally purchased at the Chipola College bookstore. Ask your instructor if you are unsure.

What can I find in the databases?

Research papers, articles, and books, among other literature materials. These resources are free to use — just remember to cite any sources when necessary.

Chipola College Library is a member of the Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC). Library Search covers the collections of Florida’s 40 public state college and university libraries. Questions about this guide, or about a search that isn’t working? Contact Chipola College library staff.