Biography

Below are listed library resources and research strategies pertaining to the research of biographical information.

Call numbers

Because Hewes Library uses the Library of Congress classification system, biographies are not grouped in any one place on the shelves. Using the Hewes Library Catalog, search for your subject's name, area of expertise, and other related concepts.

To see a brief outline of the entire Library of Congress classification system, click here.

Reference resources in Hewes Library

Reference materials such as handbooks, encyclopedias and dictionaries provide excellent starting points for biographical research. You will find the resources below, among others, in the Reference Collection on the Main Level.

• American national biography (24 vol + suppl) REF CT 100. C8
• Encyclopedia of American biography REF CT 213. E53 1995
• Scribner encyclopedia of American lives (5 vol) REF CT 213. S37 1998
• Scribner encyclopedia of American lives: the 1960s (2 vol) REF CT 213. S374 2003
• Great lives from history: American series (5 vol) REF CT 214. G74 1987
• Dictionary of American biography (20 vol + suppl) REF E 176. D562
• Scribner encyclopedia of American lives: sports figures (2 vol) REF GV 697. A1 S42 2002
• Women in world history (17 vol) REF HQ 1115. W6 1999
• Great lives from history: American women series (5 vol) REF HQ 1412. G74 1995
• Members of Congress: a bibliography REF JK 1030. A2 1996
• The Supreme Court justices: illustrated biographies, 1789-1995 REF KF 8744. S86 1995
• The new Grove dictionary of music and musicians (2d ed) (29 vol) REF ML 100. N48 2001
• The new Grove dictionary of jazz (2d ed) (3 vol) REF ML 102. J3 N48 2001
• The dictionary of art (34 vol) REF N 31. D5 1996
• Contemporary artists (5th ed) (2 vol) REF N 6490. C6567 2002
• Contemporary women artists REF N 8354. C66 1999
• Larousse dictionary of writers REF PN 141. L27 1994
• European authors 1000-1900: a biographical dictionary REF PN 451. K8
• Twentieth century children's writers REF PN 1009. A1 T9 1978
• The biographical encyclopedia & who's who of American theatre REF PN 2285. R5
• Encyclopedia of twentieth-century journalists REF PN 4871. T34 1986
• American men & women of science (20th ed) (8 vol)REF Q 141. A512 1998
• Dictionary of scientific biography (18 vol)REF Q 141. D5
• International biographical dictionary of computer pioneers REF QA 76.2 A2 L44 A995b

Online resources

• Academic Search Premier
  EBSCOhost's academic-specific database indexes 8,000+ periodicals in all disciplines. 4,600 titles are full-text or full-image, and 3,500 are peer-reviewed. Coverage: generally since 1980, but back to 1965 for some titles. Title list; off-campus access.
• American National Biography
  Online version of the multivolume print set (find it in the Reference Collection at REF CT 213. A68), providing articles and bibiliographies on notable Americans. Off-campus access.
• Biography & Genealogy Master Index
  Indexes over 12 million biographical sketches from 2,700+ volumes and editions of current and retrospective reference books, covering both contemporary and historical figures. Title list; off-campus access.
• Contemporary Authors
  Online version of Gale's print set (find it in the Reference Collection at REF PN 453. C63), providing biographical data on contemporary authors. Off-campus access.
• Current Biography
  Biographical essays of notable figures with an international scope. Coverage: since 1940. Off-campus access.
• WorldCat
  Provides bibliographic information and holdings for over 40 million library items held in 40,000+ libraries worldwide. Off-campus access.

Print indexes

Even with online databases dripping from every discipline, the old print indexes are still worth investigating: they often extend coverage far beyond online coverage, and may provide abstracts where current online products offer only citations. One print index is directly applicable to art studies:

• Biography index v.1 - 21 (1946 - August 1996)

Human resources: your local librarians

Hopefully, the ideas and resources above will help you to get started in your research. If you have any questions, comments or difficulties, please contact a librarian at the Reference Desk: (309) 457-2301.