Starting Points: Guide to Biographies

  Reference   l   Additional Material   l   Web Sites
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Reference – 1^st Floor  

 

American National Biography - R 920 Ame

These 24 volumes profile 17,500 people “whose lives or careers directly influenced the course of American history.”                                

                                               
Current Biography Yearbook - R 920 Cur

An annual that provides biographies of newsmakers for that year. 

                                               
Dictionary of National Biography - R 920 Dic

This revered dictionary, first published in 1885, comprises over 70 volumes.  We have up to 1985.        

The Harper Encyclopedia of Military Biography - R 920 Dup

Pre-Caesar to Schwarzkopf, profiles “approximately 3,000 of the world’s greatest military leaders.”    

                                                  
Encyclopedia of World Biography - R 920 Enc

These volumes bold face the name and a brief synopsis of the subject’s life before beginning the narrative proper allowing for a quick overview.  Photos and drawings included.     

                                                           
Who’s Who: updated yearly, include Who’s Who in America, International Who’s Who,  Who’s Who in the South and Southwest,  Who’s Who of  American Women and Who Was Who, and International Who’s Who. R 920s                                                     
                                                
Almanac of Famous People - R 920.02 Alm

Provides very short entries for “33,000…newsmakers from Biblical times to the  present.” Includes birth and death dates (most sources provide only years), reason for fame and other bibliographic sources about the subject, as well as date, year, geographic, and occupation indexes.     

Butler’s Lives of the Saints - R 922.22  But

First published over 200 years ago, the New Full Edition is divided into 12 volumes--one for each month. Volume 12, December, contains an alphabetical index directing the reader to the appropriate volume/month via the saint’s name and day.                                             

Dictionary of Scientific Biography - R 925 D

This 18-volume set profiles pioneers of science from antiquity through 1980.
                                  
Notable Twentieth Century Scientists - R 925 Not

Four volume set with encyclopedic profiles of the last 100 years’ top scientists. 

                                  
Dictionary of Literary Biography - R 928 Dic

Invaluable at over 230 volumes, ­DLB provides detailed biographies of writers covering all time periods and countries, and devotes issues to various literary movements.  Also available via the Winter Park Public Library’s database, The Literature Resource Center.    

Finding Additional Material

Dewey Decimal browsing numbers: 920-928
In addition to reference books, you may want to search for other books and materials (videos, audiobooks, etc.) on your topic. The best way to find good sources of information is to do a subject search in our Library catalog. You can access the Library catalog from the Library or from your home computer by going to our Web page (www.wppl.org), then to Search Our Catalog.  A good subject heading for this topic is Keats, John or Washington, George, for example.

eBooks
Visit EBSCOhost to search the collection of thousands of eBooks the Library has to offer. Library card required. Contact a reference librarian for additional details.

Articles
The following sources can be used to find magazine articles dealing with your topic:

·            The Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature - Adult Reference  R 050 R
       Search for articles on a subject within any given year.

       Biography in Context, EBSCOhost and Infotrac Onefile - Access from the Library or at home using your library card
       number at www.wppl.org.  Search for full-text articles in these online databases using your choice of keywords. You can limit
       the search to a certain year or even a certain magazine.

Web Sites

Biographical Dictionary: Over 33,000 short entries of biographical information. Some records include a timeline of significant events in the person’s life. Also references books and other mediums where you may find additional information about the person. 
       

Biography.com: An offshoot of the Biography Channel, this site details over 25,000 lives.                                     

Infoplease People: More than 30,000 biographies. Categories for politics, science, sports, recent deaths and others.

Library Spot’s Biography: Search by type; ie, artists, athletes, authors, etc, or by ethnicity.                      

NNDB: Over 23,000 quick and accessible profiles and data of the living and dead.  

PBS Biographies: From PBS’ Frontline, includes “American Masters,” “Ken Burns’ American Stories,” and “American Masters.” Supplements these programs by including person-specific timelines, primary sources and instructional guides for teachers.     

 

***See also dozens of other Biography sites at the Library’s Good Web Sites webpage. From our homepage (www.wppl.org) click on Reference Resources, go to Good Websites then Biography.***

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