INLS 111:
INFORMATION RESOURCES AND SERVICES I
School of Information and Library Science
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SOURCES
Scope: This
guide describes the types of biographical sources available and provides some
examples of the most important or representative titles of each type. It is not intended to be a complete list of
biographical reference materials. Before beginning to look for biographical
information, try to determine when and where the subject lived and for what he
or she is known. Anything you know about the subject can be used as a clue when
deciding where to look for more information.
I. GUIDES
TO SOURCES
A. Bibliographies
Use these tools to find general
biographical directories and those which deal with specific geographic areas,
occupations, or time periods. These
guides to reference materials are good places to begin a search when you don’t
have a specific source in mind.
Jarboe, Betty M. Obituaries: A Guide to Sources. 2nd ed. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1989. [Davis Ref.
Z5305 .U5J37 1989]
A bibliography of books, articles,
scrapbooks, clipping files, and some manuscripts which include obituary
notices. Has sections for U.S. and
international sources. Appendix of
obituary cards and subject index.
Schellinger, Paul E. St. James Guide to Biography.
Chicago: St. James Press,
1991. [Davis Ref. Z5301 .S695 1991]
Proved
bibliographical and critical analysis of biographies available on many
individuals from a wide range of time periods and occupations. An alphabetical list of entrants appears at
the beginning. Each entry, states the
editor’s note, “contains a bibliographical listing of biographies written on
the subject along with a signed, critical essay reviewing the biographies
listed.” There is no index, but the
guide is logically arranged. The
evaluative nature of the essays makes this a very useful tool for students.
Slocum, Robert B. Biographical
Dictionaries and Related Works. 2nd
ed., 2 vols. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 1986 [Davis Ref. Z5301 .S55 1986]
Includes all languages, cultures, and
periods. Over 16,000 entries. Indexes
by place, profession, author, title, and subject.
Pseudonyms
and Nicknames Dictionary.
3rd ed. 2 vols. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 1987. [Davis Ref. CT120.P8 1987].
Contemporary
& historical names. Includes
complete bibliog.. data. Main entries
& cross refs.
Look up an individual’s name in these to
find out which books, periodicals or collective works contain biographical
information about that individual.
Starting your search with the indexes can save a lot of time and effort.
Biography
Index. New York: Wilson,
1946- . [Davis Ref.; U.L. Z5301 .B5; Davis Ref. Electronic Resource: http://eresources.lib.unc.edu/eid/,
select Biography Index]
Indexes
biographical material in periodicals and books. Covers all periods, areas, and subjects. Includes a separate listing by
occupation. Available on OCLC
FirstSearch and CD-ROM.
Biography
and Genealogy Master Index. 2nd ed. (and supplements). Detroit, MI: Gale
Research, 1980- ; supplements, irreg. (DIALOG Files 287 and 288). [Available
online at: http://eresources.lib.unc.edu/eid/]
Indexes
350 current and retrospective biographical sources, predominantly, though not
exclusively American. Davis Library does not hold the print version of this
database. The CD-ROM was reviewed in
the April 15, 1994 Library Journal which
describes this source as a “mother lode of information from 700 biographical
dictionaries and Who’s Who the world over.”
It provides citations to millions of people, both living and dead. The data are updated annually, adding
approximately 450, 000 citations.
Hyamson, Albert. A
Dictionary of Universal Biography of All Ages and All Peoples, 2nd ed.
London: Routledge, 1951. [Rare Book Coll. Ref.; Davis Ref. CT 103 .H9].
Useful as
index to standard biographical dictionaries of various countries, e.g. DAB,
DNB.
Personal
Name Index to the New York Times Index.
1851-1974; 1975-1984. Succosunna,
N.J.: Roxbury Data Interface, 1980; 1988. [Davis Ref. Z5301.F].
Indexes
personal names found in the New York
Times Index.
World
Biographical Index.
Munchen, Germ.: K.G. Saur Verlag, 1995? [Davis Ref. Electronic Resource:
10-46].
The World Biographical Index on CD-ROM provides electronic
access to six major biographical archives on microfiche published by K. G.
Saur. This project has published on fiche over 1700 original biographical
sources such as dictionaries and encyclopedias from the 16th to the 20th
centuries. The sources contain over 1,000,000 entries. While each set has its
own print index, this disk indexes all six simultaneously. The six biographical
archives are: American Biographical Archive I, British
Biographical Archive I, Archivo Bioqrafico Italiano I, Archives Bioaraphiques
Francaises I, Archivo Bioqrafico de EsDana. Portuqal e Iberamerica I, and
Deutsches Biographisches Archiv I.
These
generally are not limited to a specific geographic area or time period.
A. Retrospective to Present
Time
Chambers
Biographical Dictionary. 6th ed., ed. Melanie Perry New York: Chambers, 1997. [Davis Ref. Row 1;
CT103 .C4 1997] .
Covers all nations and time
periods. First published in 1897 and
updated several times since. Names selected by achievement and recognition.
Biography.com
[http://www.biography.com/find/find.html]
includes 20,000 paragraph-length biographies of notable personalities
from antiquity to the present. Information is obtained from the Cambridge Encyclopedia Database, and the Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography.
Searchable by name of person. Entries include dates, pronunciation guides, the
gender, alternate spellings of the name, and other relevant biography links, if
any. Sponsored by A&E New Media.
New
Century Cyclopedia of Names.
3 vols. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1954. [Davis Ref.; SILS Ref.; U.L. Ref. PE1625 .C43 1954]
Includes place names and literary
characters as well as historical figures; useful when proper name can’t be
identified. Covers names of importance in English speaking world.
Webster’s
New Biographical Dictionary.
Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1995. [Davis Ref. CT103 .M47 1995]
Information
on important or celebrated figures of the past 5,000 years. Covers approximately 30,000 names. Emphasis on English speaking world, but
increasing coverage of the rest of the world.
Weis, Frank W., ed. Lifelines: Famous Contemporaries from 600 B.C. to 1975. New York:
Facts on File, 1982. [Davis Ref. CT104 .W45]
Provides a chronological overview of the
history of the world from 600 B.C. to 1975 by listing prominent contemporaries
in 25 year periods.
B. Current
Current
Biography. New York:
Wilson, 1940- . [Davis; Davis Ref. CT100 .C8].
Especially good for people in the
news. Index by professions. Cumulative 10-year indexes. Gives references
to other sources. Uses questionnaires to biographees as the primary source.
International
Who’s Who. London:
Europa, 1935- . [Davis; Davis Ref. CT120 .I5].
Lists nearly 20,000 individuals prominent
in all walks of life from around the world.
Who’s
Who in the World. Chicago: Marquis Who’s Who, 1970- . [Davis folio; Davis Ref. CT120 .W5].
Lists approximately 10,000 more names
than the International Who’s Who
without too much overlap. Name selection
based on reference value, based either on position or achievement.
The following list is just a sample of
some of the countries and regions covered in biographical dictionaries. For more titles, consult Balay or Slocum
(Section I.A. above) or the subject card catalog under the name of a place with
the sub-heading “biography” or “directories.”
A. United States
1.
Retrospective
Dictionary
of American Biography. New
York: Scribner, 1928-1937; Supplements, 1944-1980; Index 1996. 20 volumes and
index. [Davis Ref. E176 .D563].
“Noteworthy persons of all periods who
lived in the territory now known as the U.S.” No living subjects. Long signed articles; bibliographies. Indexes by birthplace, college,
profession. Poor coverage for women and
minority groups. AKA “DAB.”
DAB has ceased publication, but coverage
is continued in two new publications:
American
National Biography. John
A. Garraty, Mark C. Carnes, eds. New York : Oxford University Press, 1999. 24 volumes [Davis Ref. CT213 .A68 1999].
The
Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives. Kenneth T. Jackson, Karen Markoe, and Arnold Markoe, eds.
New York: Scribner’s, 1998. [Law ref. CT213 .S37 1998].
Dictionary
of American Negro Biography.
New York: Norton, 1982. [U.L.; Davis Ref. E185.96 .L6 1982].
Supplements DAB including more than 600
essays on individuals who died before 1970.
Includes many lesser known, but important
individuals.
National
Cyclopedia of American Biography.
76 vols. & index. New York: White, 1892-1984. [Davis Ref. E176 .N28].
Most comprehensive American source. Includes many lesser known figures,
especially those active in business, community affairs, etc. Use index volume to get both the basic set
and the current volumes. Index includes
institutions, events, and subjects mentioned in articles. Lacks scholarly or
critical analysis.
Notable
Names in American History. Clifton, N.J.: White, 1973. [Davis Ref. E176
.N89 1973].
Chronological lists of many kinds of
office holders (including state and local governments, museums, colleges,
unions), recipients of awards and prizes. Designed to provide quick answers to
basic questions.
Who
Was Who in America.
Chicago: Marquis Who’s Who, 1942- .
[Davis; U.L.; Davis Ref. E176 .W64].
Sketches removed from Who’s Who volumes due to death of the
biographies. Date of death usually
included. Covers period from 1897 to
the present. Volume 4 on covers world
notables as well. There is also a
companion volume: Who Was Who in America.
Historical Volume, 1607-1896.
2.
Current
Who’s
Who Among Black Americans.
Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 1976- .
[Davis, U.L., Davis Ref. E185.96 .W52].
Over
20,000 names, including affiliations. Indexed
by geography and occupation.
Who’s
Who Among Hispanic Americans.
1st ed. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Inc., 1991. [Davis Ref. E184 .S75 W53 1991-92] .
First listing of contemporary Hispanic
leaders. Indexed by geography,
occupation, ethnic and cultural heritage.
Who’s
Who in America. Chicago: Marquis Who’s Who, 1899- 3 vols. Biennial. [Davis;
Davis Ref. E176 .W642] .
According to Balay: “The standard
dictionary of contemporary biography, containing concise biographical data,
prepared according to established practices, with addresses and, in the case of
authors, lists of works.”
Balay notes that: “The Marquis sectional
who’s who are designed to supplement Who’s
Who in America and to give representative coverage of a region. Each volume now averages some 20,000 names,
selected on the same principles of
‘reference usefulness’ used for the national work.
Who’s
Who in the East.
Chicago: Marquis Who’s Who, 1942/43- . [Davis;
Davis Ref. E176 .W643] .
Who’s
Who in the Midwest. Chicago:
Marquis Who’s Who, 1949- . [Davis;
Davis Ref. E176 .W644].
Who’s
Who in the South and Southwest.
Chicago: Marquis Who’s Who, 1949/50- . [Davis;
Davis Ref. E176 .W646].
Who’s
Who in the West.
Chicago: Marquis Who’s Who, 1949- . [Davis’
Davis Ref. E176 .W646].
Who’s
Who of American Women. Chicago: Marquis Who’s Who, 1958/59- . [Davis; Davis Ref. CT3260 .W5].
Like
the other Marquis Who’s Who books, the 30,000 entries are brief, giving the basics
of information such as birth and death dates, children, spouse, education, etc.
B. Canada
1.
Retrospective
Dictionary
of Canadian Biography.
Toronto: Univ. of Toronto Pr., 1966- .
[U.L., Davis Ref. F1005 .D49].
“All noteworthy inhabitants of the
Dominion of Canada (exclusive of living persons).” Arranged by period. Covers the years 1000 to 1910. Separate index volume.
2.
Current
Canadian
Who’s Who. Toronto:
Univ. of Toronto Pr., 1910- . [Davis,
Davis Ref. F1033 .C23].
Includes people from all walks of
life. Index in separate volumes
covering the years 1898-1984.
Who’s
Who in Canada. Toronto:
Global Pr. [Davis, Davis Ref. F1033 .W62].
Focuses primarily on the business community,
but also covers professions, government, and academia.
C. Great
Britain
1. Retrospective
Dictionary
of National Biography.
Compact ed. with complete text. London: Oxford University Press, 1975 [Davis
Ref. DA28 .D47 v. 1-22; Rare Book Coll. DA28 .C64].
Dictionary of National
Biography. Supplement.
New York: Macmillan, 1912- . [Davis; Davis Ref.; U.L. Ref. DA28 .D47 Suppl.].
This is the single most important work
for English biography. It consists of
lengthy, signed articles written by experts.
Known as the “DNB.” Extensive
bibliographies included. Numerous
supplements and revised (concise) editions published over the years. Model for DAB.
The
Dictionary of National Biography: The Concise Dictionary. London: Oxford University Press, 1953-1961.
[Davis; U.L. Ref. DA28 .D56].
Contains
summaries of all biographies in the main work up to 1985.
Who
Was Who. London:
A.&C. Black, 1897- .) [Davis Ref. DA28.W65].
Published
every 10 years. “A companion to Who’s Who, continuing the biographies of
those who died.
2.
Current
Who’s
Who. London: Black,
1849- . [Law Ref. DA28 .W56]; New York:
St. Martin’s Press, [Davis Ref. DA28 .W56].
The model for all subsequent “Who’s
Who.” Focuses primarily on British
personalities with a few international figures. Lengthy and accurate biographical entries.
IV.
SOURCES FOR SPECIFIC PROFESSIONS
Listed below is a representative sample
of sources available in various professions.
There are many others, such as art, business, law, and religion, for
example. To find out what sources are
available in a particular field consult guides to sources (see I.A. above) or
the subject card catalog.
American
Men and Women of Science.
18th ed. 8 vols. New York: Bowker, 1990. [.Davis Ref. Q141 .A473] . (DIALOG
File 236)
Living North American scientists in
research and academic fields in physical and biological sciences. 13th edition includes social and behavioral
sciences. Indexed by discipline and geography.
Dictionary
of Scientific Biography.
18 vols. New York: Scribner, 1970-1980, 1990. [Davis; U.L.; Davis Ref. Q141
.D5].
Covers all periods and
nationalities. No living persons
included. Signed articles,
bibliographies.
Emphasis on mathematics, astronomy,
physics, chemistry, biology, and earth sciences.
The
Hutchinson Dictionary of Scientific Biography. 18 vols. Oxford: Helicon, 2000. [Davis Ref. Q141 .H874
2000].
Directory
of American Scholars. New
York: Bowker, 1942- . [Davis Ref.
LA2311 .C32] .
Companion in humanities to American Men
and Women of Science (See IV. A. above).
Four subject volumes, 37,500 profiles,
and a geography index.
National
Faculty Directory.
Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 1970- .
[Davis Ref.; U.L.; Davis Ref. L901 .N34].
Gives name, department, and address. Biographical information can then sometimes
be found in the catalog of the institution where the person teaches.
C. Authors
Contemporary
Authors. Detroit, MI: Gale
Research, 1962- . [Davis Ref.; U.L.
Ref. Z1010 .C665].
Bio-bibliographies of current writers in
fiction, non-fiction, poetry, journalism, drama, movies, and television. Cumulative indexes published in alternate
volumes.
Dictionary
of Literary Biography.
Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 1978- . [Davis Ref.; U.L. Ref. PS21.D5185 1978].
Attempts
to include all major and secondary North American writers. Organized by topic, period, or genre.
Something
About the Author.
Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 1971- . [SILS Ref. PN451.S6].
Illustrated
biographical sketches or authors and illustrators of books for young people.
The
Writers Directory. New
York: St. Martin’s Pr., 1970- . [Davis;
Davis Ref. PS1 .W73].
Covers 15,000 living writers in the
English language.