Biography for Historical Research
For books about an individual look for that person's name as a
subject heading in te Library Catalog. For
example: truman harry
If there are no books devoted exclusively to a person, look for his or her occupation with the subdivision biography. It is possible you will find at least a chapter in a book. Note the form of the search request in the next example of a screen from the Library Catalog.
In addition to entire books or chapters in books, biography dictionary/encyclopedia
entries can be found with Biography
and Genealogy Master Index (BGMI).
This is a comprehensive index to current and retrospective biographical
sources. Use this index when you begin a search to find references
in many of the standard biographical dictionaries.
After searching the BGMI, consider browsing the reference collection
using the appropriate Library
of Congress Class Number. Subject
encyclopedias and dictionaries often have entries on famous individuals,
and there may be some biographical sources not found in the BGMI.
A few useful biographical dictionaries are noted here (most of them are indexed by BGMI):
International
Encyclopedia of world biography. 1998 17v. Reference CT103 .E56
1998
Great Britain
The Dictionary of National Biography: From the Earliest Times
to 1900. 1921-1922.
22 v. + Index. Reference DA 28 D4
The Dictionary of National Biography. Supplement. (Twentieth
Century.) 1920-. 9 v. Reference DA 28
D42
United States
Dictionary of American Biography. 1964-95-. 11 v. + Supplements
3-10 and Index.
Reference E176 D563
The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. 1967-1984.
63v. Reference E 176 N28.
The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Current Volume.
1930-1971, 13 v. Reference E 176 N2812.
The National Cyclopedia of American Biography. Index.
1984. Reference E 176 N28124.
Research Guide to American Historical Biography.
Reference CT 214 R47 1988
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