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General Background InformationBritannica.com. Provides the full-text of Encyclopaedia Britannica, along with articles exclusive to the Web version and links to selected Web sites. Also available in print: [Ref AE 5 E363 (year)] .
Biographical Reference Sources
Online:
Biography Ready Reference Web Page . Lists and provides links to several useful Web resources, such as Biographical Dictionary, Biography.com, and NameBase.
Biography and Genealogy Master Index . This is a consolidated index to over 150 sources of biographical information with emphasis on the U.S. It provides access to biographies in reference volumes, but not to periodical articles or books about one individual. Look up your person alphabetically. (The Extended Search option allows you to search more narrowly.) Then check Minerva, the online catalog, to get the call numbers for those items owned by the University Libraries. Most of the sources are reference books shelved in the area to your left as you face the Reference desk. Note: Names and dates appear exactly as listed in the source books. There is no attempt to consolidate various listings for the same individual. Make sure you've found all entries for your person. (Also available in print: RRef Z 5305 U5 B56xa)
Current Biography . Contains an average of 300 biographies annually. Entries are long, one to two pages, and are revised periodically. Coverage is international. Each issue contains a classified list by occupations. Published monthly and cumulated annually with a seven-year consolidated index in every volume. Occasional cumulated indexes cover greater spans of time. Provides an address and a portrait for each subject. (Also available in print: Ref CT 100 C8 [year]. Library has 1940+ )
Print:
Dictionary of World Biography. Ref CT 104 D54 1998.
Divided by time period. Each entry includes the individuals' contribution to society, sections on his/her early life and life's work, a summarizing section, and a bibliography.Contemporary Newsmakers. Ref CT 120 C663 [year]. Library has 1985+.
Provides profiles of the people making headlines. Entries are approximately 3-5 pages, and includes references to additional print and online resources. Includes nationality, occupations, and subject indexes as well as a cumulative index by person.Magazine Articles / Parts of Books
Biography Index . Covers English-language periodicals and books from 1984 to the present. Search for your individual as a subject. Articles and book titles in your results list are links to full information on the source. Check Minerva to see if we own the book or journal. The print volumes go back to 1946. A special feature in the print index is the list at the back of professions and occupations. Here, individuals covered are briefly listed with birth and death dates. (Also available in print: Index CT 28 Z99 B56)
EBSCO Academic Search FullTEXT Premier . An index to a broad range of academic journals. Some articles are available full-text.
Search for BOOKS about a person by doing a SUBJECT search on Minerva, the online catalog.
- Newspaper articles, including obituaries, found using LexisNexis Academic, New York Times Index, New York Times Obituaries Index , etc.
- Reference books in the person's field, sex, or race, such as:
- Who's Who in American Education, and in many other fields
- American Women; Notable American Women; Black Women in America; Who's Who of American Women, etc.
- Contemporary Black Biography; American Jewish Biography; Who's Who Among Hispanic Americans; Notable Asian Americans
- Critical reviews of books by or about the person may contain biographical information and can be located through Book Review Digest, Book Review Index, or in periodical indexes in the person's field, such as PsycINFO.
This is a very selective list. Many other sources are available. Consult a reference librarian for additional help.
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T. Jacobson
6/2003; last reviewed 9/2005
Comments to tjacobson@uamail.albany.edu