Subject guide: Biography

The Library's Subject Guides help you find resources that are specialized for certain areas of study. There are many other resources available which provide generalized information--not specific to one topic or area. To see more of these general resources, see the Subject Guide: General page.

Databases

Databases typically provide information about journal, magazine and newspaper articles, though these databases are specifically geared toward biographical information and resources.

• American National Biography Online
• Biography Reference Bank
• Encyclopedia of World Biography
• Who's Who on the Web
• Gale Virtual Reference Library: Includes a section of biographical resources.

Remember to look in subject-specific databases for more information on people!

Reference Books

Reference books provide background information on a people, terms and concepts.

General

• Current Biography CT100 .C8
• American National Biography  CT213 .A68
• Who's Who DA28 .W6
• Encyclopedia of Leadership

Specific

NOTE: Biographical sources can be found in almost any topic area. Here are a few examples:

• The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives CT213 .S37 1998
• Biographical Dictionary of American Indian History to 1900 E89 .W35 2001
• Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia HQ1115 .W6 1999
• Fifty Key Figures in Twentieth-Century British Politics DA28.4 .L39 2002
• The Rise of the Medieval World, 500-1300: A Biographical Dictionary CT114 .R57 2002
• International Encyclopedia of Women Scientists Q141 .O27 2002
• A Century of Nobel Prize Recipients: Chemistry, Physics & Medicine Q141 .C252 2003
• Dictionary of Scientific Biography Q141 .D5

Web Resources

Here are a few web sites we think you might find useful:

• Biographical Directory of The US Congress: 1774-Present: Brief biographies of all US Representatives & Senators. From the US Government.
• Biography.com Companion website to the A&E Biography Channel; links to information about each person profiled on the channel via a 25,000-name database.
• History - The Presidents of the United States Presidential biographies offered by the White House website.
• History - The First Ladies of the United States Biographies about First Ladies throughout US history; offered by the White House website.
• Librarians' Index to the Internet: People page. Browse or search this librarian-created web directory.
• New York Times Archive (1851-2005) Good resource for obituaries.