How to use the AIM-VA portal
Ordering Books
Once your student has an account you can search and order materials from them. To begin searching, click the “Search for a Book” button on the left hand side tool bar or in the center of the homepage.
Once you are on the “Search for a Book” page you will be given options for how you want to search for your book. If you are searching for a textbook and know the ISBN number of the book you need, we suggest searching by ISBN. Using ISBN is more direct as you will only be given one option per result page. You can also search via title, author, format, or the book type. If you search using these criteria,we suggest selecting a higher number of results per page to ensure you find what you are looking for. Once you fill out all the information you have and hit the“Submit” button the system will search through the libraries of AIM-VA and its partners, as well as third party sources like Google and Amazon.
Once the search finishes you will notice a list of sources. You will also notice that all the currently available file formats from your current source will be listed under each result. If you are looking for an e-text format—like DAISY, PDF, or RTF—you will want to look through the AIM-VA results page. If you are looking for an audio file or Braille book then you will want to look through the AIM-VA partners section. Once you find your book you can click either the view book details, to see a brief summary and extra information about your book, or you can click directly to order now.
Once on the “New Order” screen you will need to select the academic year in which the order is to be fulfilled, select the student the book is for, the format you want the book in, the delivery method, read and agree to the terms and conditions, as well as certify a hard copy of the book has been assigned to the student and is available to them in classroom.
If needed there is a special instructions box where you can add order instructions or attach a note to the order. For example, DBVI suggests that you leave a course syllabus when ordering braille material so they can ensure materials are provided by the date they are needed.
If you selected the current academic year and electronic download or Streamit! the file will be made available to you shortly. If you need the file for the next academic year and are just getting a head start on ordering, digital files will not be available until the end of the current school year.
Once you have finished filling everything out and click “Order”, you will receive an order confirmation on screen and on your email. If you made a mistake on the order and need to cancel or change your order, you can do so by going to the manage order screen.