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How to Locate Biographical Information
This guide is a starting point for finding information on the life of an individual. If you need further assistance, please consult with a librarian.Go to: Humanities/Fine Arts | Social Sciences | Sciences | Internet Sites
GENERAL SOURCES
- Biography and Genealogy Master Index.
- Available online from the Hatfield Library Web site. Indexes any print product that includes biographical information on multiple persons. Over 13.6 million citations. Coverage dates vary.
- Biography Index, 1946-2001. Reference Indexes.
- Citations to biographical articles from over 3,000 journals and over 2,000 English-language books.
- Chambers Biographical Dictionary. REF CT103 .C4
- Brief sketches with some critical observations of over 19,000 names of international coverage. Addressing all periods of history from B.C.E. to the present.
- Current Biography and Current Biography Yearbook. REF CT100 .C8
- Essay length biographies about living people from around the world. Over 60 volumes covering 1940 to the present with cumulative indexes and monthly updates.
- Dictionary of American Biography. 2nd FLOOR: E176 .D563
- Long, scholarly articles with bibiographies covering individuals who died through 1980. More than 19,000 bibliographies in a 20-volume set with a cumulative index.
- Dictionary of National Biography, founded in 1882 by George Smith. REF DA28 .D47
- Standard national biography for Great Britain of deceased persons.
- International Who's Who. REF CT120 .I5
- Over 20,000 entries listed alphabetically by last name of famous and influential men and women. Published annually in one volume since 1935.
- Webster's American Biographies. REF E176 .V36
- One volume work containing more than 3,000 notable Americans both living and deceased. Index arranged alphabetically by geography and profession.
- Who Was Who in America, 1607 to date. 2nd FLOOR: E176 .W64
- Many of these sketches are of deceased biographees from Who's Who in America. Fifteen volumes with over 134,000 biographies from early colonial days to the present.
- Who's Who. REF DA28 .W6
- Over 30,000 entries covering people from all over the world in all fields. Brief entries covering basic facts of birth, education, career, publications, and address. Older editions are located on the 2nd floor.
- Who's Who in America. REF E176 .W642
- 128,000 brief entries of American men and women leaders. Separate index volume. Older editions are located on the 2nd floor.
- Who's Who in the West. REF E176 .W646
- One volume work containing over 15,000 men and women from the western United States and Canada. Older editions are located on the 2nd floor.
HUMANITIES/ FINE ARTS
- Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television. REF PN2285 .C58
- Biographical guide containing alphabetically arranged entries in the entertainment field. Cumulative index includes references to Who's Who in the Theatre and Who Was Who in the Theatre. International coverage on over 16,000 living and deceased people in the field.
- The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. REF ML102 .P66 G84 1998
- Eight volumes contain over 18,500 entries arranged alphabetically. Typical artist entries include dates of birth, discography and album ratings written in both a critical and entertaining style. Many entries also include compilations, videos, chart positions and further reading.
- The Grove Dictionary of Art.
- Available online from the Hatfield Library Web site. An encyclopedia of over 45,000 articles covering all forms of the visual arts and artists worldwide from prehistory to the present.
- Grove Music Online.
- Available online from the Hatfield Library Web site. Includes full text of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, and The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. Updated annually.
- International Dictionary of Theatre. REF PN2035 .I49
- A 3-volume set covering over 620 international plays and major dramatists from Ancient Greek times to the present. Volumes cover plays, playwrights, actors, directors, and designers. Entries include general information, critical essays, and lists of books and articles on the plays.
- Literature Resource Center.
- Available online from the Hatfield Library Web site. Provides access to biographies, bibliographies, and critical analyses of over 120,000 authors. Coverage dates vary. This database includes Contemporary Authors (information on over 112,000 living or deceased writers in a wide range of media) and Dictionary of Literary Biography (over 9,000 entries ranging from brief to extensive which include coverage of American and British authors' works, illustrations, photos, and bibliographies) and contemporary literary criticism and more.
- Who's Who in American Art. REF N6536 .W5
- Lists 11,000 representatives of the visual arts from U.S., Canada, and Mexico in alphabetical order. Indexed by geography and area of expertise. Older editions are located on the 2nd floor.
- Who's Who in Religion. 2nd FLOOR: BR569 .W48
- Profiling more than 15,000 religious men and women worldwide. Brief, detailed biographical entry with basic personal information and educational and career history.
- Writer's Directory. REF PN771 .W68
- Lists brief background information and publications on 19,730 writers worldwide that have published at least one work in English. Entries cover both fiction and nonfiction and are arranged alphabetically.
SOCIAL SCIENCES
- Almanac of American Politics. REF JK1012 .A44
- A one-volume work organized alphabetically by state with brief political history, information on governors, Congressional members, and state facts. Older editions are located on the 2nd floor.
- Contemporary Entrepreneurs. 2nd FLOOR: HC102.5 .A2 C66
- One volume containing 74 biographies on men and women in different U.S. businesses. Entries contain factual data, history, quotations and references for further reading. Indexed by person, company, location and industry type.
- Corporate Eponymy: A biographical dictionary of the persons behind the names of major American, British, European, and Asian businesses. 2nd FLOOR: HC29 .R66
- Over 1,000 international entries arranged by company name in a one-volume dictionary. Short bibliography included.
- Encyclopedia of Psychology. REF BF31 .E52
- Over 400 biographies in 8 volumes listed alphabetically. International in scope.
- Encyclopedia of Women's History in America. REF HQ1410 .C85
- Includes biographical entries on U.S. women from colonial times to the present. Arranged alphabetically with bibliography and index.
- International Dictionary of Anthropologists. REF GN20 .I5
- Over 725 essays on anthropologists from around the world born before 1920. Arranged alphabetically with an index.
- International Directory of Company Histories. REF HD2721 .I63
- A 79-volume set containing extensive histories on over 7,850 companies and their founders with indexes by company, industry, and geographical index. Arranged by industry and company name.
- International Encyclopedia of Communications. REF P87.5 .I5
- Over 569 articles in 4 volumes covering all aspects of communication including biographical information. Arranged alphabetically with index.
- International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. REF H41 .I58
- 150 lengthy biographies on deceased, relevant sociologists within 26 volumes. Bibliographies included.
- The New Palagrave: A Dictionary of Economics. REF HB61 .N49
- A 4-volume set with over 700 biographical entries for economists born prior to 1961 including their selected works and bibliographies.
- The Routledge Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Political Thinkers. REF JA83 .R725
- Single volume work containing 174 brief biographies of political scientists worldwide with lists of works and further reading.
SCIENCES
- AccessScience.
- Available online from the Hatfield Library Web site. The online Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. Allows a search of biographies by Nobel Prize and Fields Medal winners with an option to browse by topic.
- American Men and Women of Science. REF Q141 .A47
- Short biographical entries on over 132,000 living U.S. and Canadian engineers and scientists in eight volumes. Basic information includes honors and awards and research and publications. Arranged alphabetically with discipline index.
- Women in Science. REF Q141 .B5285
- A two-volume set providing biographical information on over 2,500 women scientists arranged alphabetically. Covers scientists from ancient times to present from around the world. Indexed by occupation, time period, country, and subject.
SELECTED INTERNET SITES
- The following selected Web sites may provide helpful biographical information:
Updated by Beth Chapman; maintained by Julie Sparks on 1/2007