Do I have to pay to access TEL?
Can my library contact the database vendor directly?
Where can my library get their usage reports?
I click on an article, but all I get is a blank page. What do I do?
When I click on a resource, it is requesting a password. What do I do?
I am not from Tennessee. Can I use TEL?
I would like to request a review of something I found on TEL. How do I request a review?
Do I have to pay to access TEL?
No, TEL is provided at no charge to libraries or residents of Tennessee.
The Tennessee Electronic Library is made possible through funding provided by the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee and the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services. TEL is administered by the Tennessee State Library and Archives, a division of the Tennessee Department of State.
The following are averages of subscription costs for small, medium, and large-size libraries and schools for all of the databases in TEL. For a more precise cost figures for your library, please contact the TEL Administrator at tel.tsla@tn.gov.
Public Libraries - $133,518
Academic Libraries - $124,697
High Schools - $ 44,777
Elementary School - $23,357
Can I contact the database vendor?
Yes, if you are having trouble with any of the TEL databases, please feel free to contact the vendor to inquire about the problems. You can find the contact information for each TEL database vendor under Librarian Support.
Where can my library get usage reports?
Information about how to access usage reports are found under Usage Reports.
I click on an article, but all I get is a blank page. What do I do?
Sometimes articles and other content take a minute to load. If you cannot seem to get the page to display, click the refresh button in your browser next to your address bar.
When I click on a resource, it is requesting a password. What do I do?
Occasionally browsers get confused.
- Clear your browser's cookies and cache.
- Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete.
- Select cache, cookies, temporary internet files, history (exact wording varies) – and click delete.
- Close and re-open your browser.
If that does not work, contact the TEL Administrator.
I am not from Tennessee. Can I use TEL?
TEL is only available to Tennessee residents. Our system looks at your computer to determine if you're in Tennessee. See what resources your state provides. If you are looking for Tennessee records, contact the Tennessee State Library and Archives.
I would like to request a review of something I found on TEL. How do I request a review?
In accordance with TCA PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 1002, a person may file a complaint with a state agency concerning an alleged violation of Tennessee Code Annotated 49-1-221(c)(1), which concerns digital or online materials created and marketed for kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) school use. A person filing such a complaint with the TEL must use the Requesting Review of TEL Materials Form.
Upon receipt of a fully completed form, a member of the TEL Evaluation Committee will review the complaint within 1 day of its receipt. The full TEL Evaluation Committee will provide a decision as soon as practical but in no event later than 4 weeks after receipt of the form. The TEL Evaluation Committee will respond in writing to the complainant as soon as practical and no later than four weeks after receipt of the completed form.
The Requesting Review of TEL Materials Policy can be found here.
