Biographies

Book Length Biographies

To find book-length biographies in online sources, use the person's name (using his or her last name first, then first name) in the Subject field. For books written by the person, search by Author.

Examples: Subject Keyword: Pauling, Linus (Finds books about him.)
Author Keyword: Pauling, Linus (Finds books written by him.)

UWF Library Catalog: The Library Catalog gives information on what is available at the UWF Libraries.
SUS Catalog: Searching this catalog by subject would indicate which biographies are owned by any of the ten university libraries in Florida.
RLG Union Catalog: This comprehensive union catalog of many major research libraries provides a thorough list of biographies as well as listings of audio visual materials and manuscript collections relating to people.
WorldCat. (FirstSearch): An online catalog of libraries throughout the U.S. and world; shows which libraries own particular books, manuscripts and audio visual materials.

Indexes to Biographical Essays or Summaries

Brief biographies may be located in biographical dictionaries, periodicals, newspapers, or chapters in books. To find these, consult the following:

African American Biographical Database: 1790-1850
http://aabd.chadwyck.com: This extensive database provides biographical sketches, photographs and illustrations, and other information for over 30,000 African-Americans from every walk of life.
Biography and Genealogy Master Index. (InfoTrac). 2000 (Ref. Z 5305 U5 B56): Indexes biographical dictionaries and other works.
Biography Index. (WilsonWeb). 1946+ (Ref. Z 5301 B5) & Emerald Coast Campus Library: Indexes chapters in books, periodical and newspaper articles.
Biography Resource Center. (InfoTrac)
Dictionary of Universal Biography of All Ages and All Peoples. 1951. (Ref CT 103 H9): An index to biographies appearing in dictionaries and encyclopedias published before 1950. Another retrospective index to biographies is The Dictionary Of Biographical Reference (Ref CT 103 P5).
Lexis-Nexis Academic. (LexisNexis): On the first page, click the link "Reference", then follow the link "Biographical Information" to search for a name.
Personal Name Index to "The New York Times Index." 1951-1974, 1975-1989. (Ref AI 21 N45 F3): Useful for researching historical names. May include unusual names which are otherwise difficult to locate.

Biographical Dictionaries

General Biographical Dictionaries

Biography.com (http://www.biography.com)
Celebrity Sources. 1990. (Ref. CT 120 Z5)
Current Biography. 1940+ (Ref. CT 100 C8) & FWB
Dictionary of International Biography. 1963+ (Ref. CT 101 D5)
Great Lives of the Twentieth Century. 1988. (Ref. CT 120 N46)
New Century Cyclopedia of Names.1954. (Ref. PE 1625 C43)
New York Times Biographical Service. 1974+ (Ref. CT 120 N45)
Universal Pronouncing Dictionary of Biography and Mythology. 1899. (Spec. Col. CT 103 L7)
Webster's New Biographical Dictionary. 1988. (Ref. CT 103 W4) & FWB

United States -- Historical

American Leaders, 1789-1994. 1994. (Ref. E 176 A59)& FWB
Biographical Directory of The Governors of the United States. 1789+ (Ref. JK 2447 M86)
The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents. 1993. (Ref. E 176.1 D43)
Dictionary of American Biography. 1928+ (Ref. E 176 D56)
Dictionary of American Negro Biography. 1982. (Ref. E 185.96 L6)
Biographical Directory of the American Congress 1774-1996. 1996.(Ref. JK 1010 A54) and http://bioguide.congress.gov
Who Was Who in America. (Ref. E 176 W64)

United States--Current

American Men And Women of Science. 1971+ (Ref. Q 141 A47)
Contemporary Authors. 1962+ (Ref. PN 771 C585) & FWB
Directory of American Scholars. 1963+ (Ref. LA 2311 C32)
Personalities of the South. 1969+ (Ref. CT 213 P38)
Who's Who among Black Americans. 1976+ (Ref. E 185.96 W52)
Who's Who in America. 1916+ (Ref. E 663 W56)
Who's Who in American Politics. 1967+ (Ref. E 176 W6424)
Who's Who in The South And Southwest. ( & East, Midwest, West) 1950+ (Ref. F208 W64)
Who's Who of American Women. 1970+ (Ref. CT 3260 W5)

British--Historical

Dictionary of National Biography. 1921+ (Ref. DA 28 D4)
Modern English Biography. 1965. (Ref. CT 773 B6)
Who Was Who. 1897+ (Ref. DA 28 W65) & FWB
Who's Who of British Members of Parliament 1832-1918. 1976. (Ref. JN 672 S73)

British--Current

Who's Who. 1919+ (Ref. DA 28 W6)

International

Australian Dictionary of Biography.(Ref. DU 82 A9)
Biographical Dictionary of The Soviet Union, 1917-1988. 1989 (Ref. CT 1213 V76)
Dictionary of Canadian Biography. 1966+ (Ref. F 1005 D49)
International Who's Who. 1940+ (Ref. CT 120 I5)
International Year Book and Statesman's Who's Who. 1962+ (Ref. JA 51 I57)
Who's Who in the Arab World. 1986/87. (Ref. D 198.3 W5)
Who's Who in the People's Republic of China. 1987. (Ref. DS 778 A1 B33)
Who's Who in the Socialist Countries of Europe. 1989. (Ref. CT 120 L44)
Who's Who in the World. 1971-1992.(Ref. CT 120 W5) & FWB
Who's Who of Nobel Prize Winners. 1996. (Ref. AS 911 N9 W53)

Subject Areas

For more biographical sources, select from the following Subject Research Guides:

African American Studies	Business	Literary Criticism	Physics
Ancient & Medieval History	Chemistry	Maps	Political Science
Anthropology	Economics	Math & Statistics	Psychology
Art History	Education	Medicine	Sociology
Biology	Geography	Music	Women's Studies
British History	Health & Leisure	Nursing	Young Adult Literature

Newspaper Sources

New York Times Index. 1851+ (Ref. AI 21 N45)
New York Times Obituaries Index. 1980. (Ref. CT 213 N47)
Obituaries from the Times. 1979.(Ref. CT 120 O16)
Times Index (London). 1938+ (Ref. AI 21 N21 T46)
Palmers Index to The Times (London) Newspaper. 1790-1941. (Ref. AI 21 T5)
Personal Name Index to the New York Times. 1851+ (Ref. AI 21 N45 F3)

Web Sites

List of Experts

Expert Pages (http://expertpages.com)
Experts Directory (http://www.experts.com)
Pitsco's Launch to Asking an Expert (http://www.askanexpert.com)

Directories (Addresses and Phone Numbers)

Find Someone (http://www.whowhere.lycos.com/)
Switchboard (http://www.switchboard.com)
White Pages.com (http://www.whitepages.com)
World Telephone Numbering Guide (http://www.wtng.info/)
Yellow Pages.com (http://www.yellowpages.com)

Meta-Lists

Internet Public Library: Biographies Reference (http://www.ipl.org/div/subject/browse/ref15.00.00/)

Other Sources

If more information is needed, try searching the person's name in the following sources.

General Encyclopedias

Encyclopaedia Britannica Online (http://www.britannica.com/)
New Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1989. (Ref. AE 5 E363)

General Periodical Indexes

Expanded Academic Index ASAP. 1980+ (InfoTrac)
General Business File ASAP. 1980+ (InfoTrac)

Updated by Kristy Padron, English Literature Librarian
University of West Florida Library
Date Last Updated: March 2007