Finding Biographical Information
Overview
Biographical information
is found in a variety of formats ranging from full-length books, to entries
in collected works such as encyclopedias and biographical dictionaries,
to articles in periodicals, and to non-print sources such as videotapes.
To increase the success-rate
of your search, ask yourself these key questions:
- What is the nationality
of the person?
- What is the person's
race/ethnicity/religion/gender/profession?
- Is the person
living or dead?
- If dead, during
what time period did the person live?
- For what reason(s)
is the person famous?
Most biographical
sources are organized by nationality, time period, profession, or some
other factor common to the people included. The more you know about your
person, the more quickly you can focus on likely biographical sources.
Book-Length
Biographies
To
determine if the Library owns a book-length biography of your person,
perform a SUBJECT search in the Library
Catalog. Enter [Last
Name, First Name]. Example: Twain, Mark
Biographies in Collected Works
To determine
if the Library owns a biographical dictionary or some other collected
work likely to contain a biographical sketch of your person, consider
the following headings for SUBJECT searches in the Library Catalog:
- Biography
- [Country]--Biography
Example: Great Britain--Biography
- [Profession]--Biography
Example: Authors--Biography
- [Profession],
[Country]--Biography Example: Authors,
American--Biography
- [Profession],
[Country]--[Time Period]--Biography Example:
Authors, French--18th Century--Biography
- Military
Biography
- Religious
Biography
- Naval Biography
- Women-Biography
Article-Length Biographies
To identify biographical
articles in periodicals, consult online databases and print indexes. The databases can be accessed through the Library's Web site. The print
indexes are on the Index Shelves in the Reference area. Use the
person's name [Last Name, First Name] as your subject heading. Indexes to consider include but are not limited to:
Biographical Reference Sources
General Sources
- General Encyclopedias
[World Book, Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Americana, etc.]
- Current Biography
Ref CT 100 .C8
- Encyclopedia of
World Biography Ref CT 103 .E56 1998
- Great Lives from
History Renaissance to 1900 (5v.) Ref CT 104 .G68 1989
- Great Lives from
History Twentieth Century (5v.) Ref CT 120 .G69 1990
- International
Who's Who Ref CT 120 .I15 19--
- New York Times
Biographical Service Ref CT 120 .N45
American Biography / American
Ethnic Biography
- Contemporary Black
Biography Ref E 185.96 .C66
- Dictionary of
American Biography (22v.) Ref E 176 .D563
- Great Lives from
History American Series (5v.) Ref CT 214 .G74 1987
- Great Lives from
History American Women Series (5v.) Ref HQ 1412 .G74 1995
- Notable Asian Americans
Ref E 184 .O6 N67 1995
- Notable Hispanic
American Women Ref E 184 .S75 N68 1993
- Notable Native
Americans Ref E 89 .N67 1995
- Who Was Who in
America Ref E 176 .W64
- Who's Who in America
Ref E 176 .W642
- Who's Who of American
Women Ref E 176 .W647
Authors
- Contemporary Authors
(200+ v.) Ref PN 451 .E8 C62
- Contemporary Dramatists
Ref PR 737 .V5 1993
- Contemporary Novelists
Ref PR 883 .C64 1996
- Contemporary Poets
Ref PR 603 .C6 1996
- Dictionary of Literary
Biography (200+v.) Ref PN 451 .D5
- Something About
the Author [children's authors/illustrators] (100v.) Ref PN 451 .S6
Various Professions / Groups
The Arts and Humanities
- Contemporary Artists
Ref N 40 .S78 1997
- Contemporary Designers
Ref NK 1166 .C6 1997
- Contemporary Fashion
Ref TT 505 .A1 C66 1995
- Contemporary Photographers
Ref TR 139 .C664 1995
- Dictionary of Art
(34 v.) Ref N 31 .D5 1996
- The Guinness Encyclopedia
of Popular Music (6v.) Ref ML 102 .P66 G84 1995
- International
Dictionary of Architects and Architecture Ref NA 40 .I 48 1993
- International
Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers (4v.) Ref PN 1993.45 .I49 1997
- Macmillan Encyclopedia
of Architects (4v.) Ref NA 40 .M25 1982
- New Grove Dictionary
of Music and Musicians (20v.) Ref ML 100 .N48
- The Routledge Encyclopedia
of Philosophy (10v.) Ref B 51 .R68 1998
- St. James Guide
to Black Artists Ref N 40 .S78 1997
- Who's Who in Fashion
Ref TT 505 .A1 S74 1996
- Who's Who in Interior
Design Ref NK 2004.2 .W48
Science
- American
Men and Women of Science (8v.) Ref Q 141 .A474
- Dictionary
of Scientific Biography (16v.) Ref Q 141 .D5
- The Grolier
Library of Scientific Biographies (10v.) Ref Q 141 .G84 1996
- Notable
Twentieth Century Scientists Ref Q 141 .N73 1995
- Notable
Women in Mathematics Ref QA 28 .N68 1998
- Notable
Women in the Physical Sciences Ref Q 141 . N734 1997
Social Science
- Biographical Dictionary
of Modern American Educators Ref LA 2311 .O55 1997
- Biographical Dictionary
of Psychology Ref BF 109 .A1 B56 1997
- Encyclopedia of
World Crime (5v.) Ref HV 6017 .N377 1989
- International
Dictionary of Anthropologists Ref GN 20 .I5 1991
- The Justices of
the United States Supreme Court (5v.) Ref KF 8744 .F75 1995
- The Presidents:
A Reference History Ref E 176.1 .P918
- Who's Who in American
Politics Ref E 176 .W6424
Christine Kickels, Associate Professor and Librarian
(630) 942-2313
Additions or errors? Email kickels@cod.edu
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