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 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 provide background information on a people, terms and concepts.
- Current Biography CT100 .C8
- American National Biography CT213 .A68
- Who's Who DA28 .W6
- Encyclopedia of Leadership
SpecificNOTE: 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
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.