Maag Library Guide to Biography Resources

Last updated May 5, 2003.

Locating Books (Biographies and Autobiographies) — Where to look, How to search
Finding Information in Biographical Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
Finding Biographical Information in Periodicals or Full-Text Databases
World Wide Web Resources

Locating Books

The Maag Library does not have a special section of books dedicated to biographies or autobiographies. Find books written about people by doing a search in the online catalog, MaagNet. For items not available at Maag Library, try the OhioLINK Central Catalog, or your local public library.

Where to look

MaagNet [Maag Library's online catalog]
- Look here for books, government documents and other materials owned by Maag Library. Search by subject, keyword, author or title. If you have difficulty locating the correct subject heading, it may help to consult the Library of Congress Subject Headings, a set of large red books located behind the Reference Desk in the Reference Room.
- For search tips and information see Using MaagNet.
- Copy or print publication information (author, title, place, publisher, date--found in the catalog record or on the title page of the book itself) for your "Works Cited" page.
- Note the item's call number and location (for example Reference Collection, General Collection). Check the building guide for exact location.

OhioLINK Central Catalog [combined catalogs of OhioLINK member libraries]
- Look here for books not available at Maag, but owned by other Ohio colleges and universities. [Libraries in OhioLINK may use Medical Subject Headings (MESH) in addition to or instead of Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)].
- You may request items online from other OhioLINK Institutions. It takes 3-5 working days (M-F) for books requested through the OhioLINK Central Catalog to arrive. Check your circulation record to see the status [Item Requested, In Transit, OhioLINK Rec'd] of your request. Once the book is here, pick it up and check it out at the Circulation Desk. See Borrowing and Requesting Materials-- OhioLINK Borrowing for more information.
- For search help see Search Tips and Information About the OhioLINK Central Catalog.

See Where to Start to Find Books for additional resources.

How to search

For a biography:

Search by subject using a person's name (last name first). Use as much of the name as you know. Examples:
- Beethoven
- Beethoven, Ludwig van
- Mao
- Mao Tse Tung
- Mfume, Kweisi
- Garcia Marquez, Gabriel
Search by Subject using a profession and the subheading biography. Examples:
- Architects — Biography
- Geologists — United States — Biography
- Nurses — United States — Biography
- Philosophers — Biography
- Presidents — United States — Biography

For an autobiography:

Search by author using a person's name (last name first). Use as much of the name as you know. Examples:
- X, Malcolm
- Eban, Abba
- MacDougall, Alice Foote
- Robinson, Edward G.
- Guinness, Alec

For additional search tips and information see Using MaagNet.

Finding Information in Biographical Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Master Indexes | Biographical Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

The library has hundreds of compilations of biographies in encyclopedia or dictionary format. Some of them, like the "Who's Who..." sources have very brief information. Others like Contemporary Authors or the multivolume Dictionary of Literary Biography have articles of several pages. Since there are so many sources to chose from, it is usually a good idea to check a Master Index first.

Master Indexes

Biography and Genealogy Master Index Ref. Z 5305 .U5H57

Consists of two compilations (1980 and 1985) of several volumes each plus yearly supplements. This is called a master index because it indexes other indexes as well as biographical dictionaries and encyclopedias.

Check this set first under the name you are searching for.
You may have to check several years. You will have to determine your search strategy based on when your subject is/was most active. For example, if your subject is active at the present time, you would start with the latest volume and work back.

Additionally, you may consult the following specialized master indexes:

Artist Biographies Master Index Ref. N 40 .A78 1986

Author Biographies Master Index Ref. Z 5304 .A8 A88

Business Biography Master Index Ref. Z 7164 .C81B928 1987

Children's Authors and Illustrators: An Index to Biographical Dictionaries
Ref. Z1037 .A1N18 1987

Historical Biographical Dictionaries Master Index Ref. Z5305 .U5H57

Journalist Biographies Master Index Ref. Z 6940 .J58

Theatre, Film and Television Biographies Master Index Ref. PN 1583 .L3

Twentieth Century Author Biographies Master Index Ref. Z5304 .A8T83 1984

Writers for Young Adults: Biographies Master Index Ref. Z 1037.A1 W74 1989

Biographical Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

The references listed below represent commonly used biographical sources. First check the master indexes (above) unless you know for sure which volume or year to look in.

American National Biography. Ref. CT 213 .A68 1999 (24 vols.): The successor to the Dictionary of American Biography (see below). A historical work (does not include living persons) with a broader scope than the DAB.
Appleton's Cyclopædia of American Biography. Ref. E 176 .A65 (7 vols.): Superseded somewhat by the Dictionary of American Biography. Includes citizens of Canada & Latin America as well as the U.S.
Current Biography. Ref. CT .C8 (1940 to date): This is a monthly publication with annual cumulations. Provides brief biographical essays. It is indexed in the above indexes; it has its own 10-year indexes as well.
Dictionary of American Biography. Ref. E 176 .D56: Signed scholarly articles on noteworthy persons of the U.S. (including the colonial period). Does not include living persons.
Dictionary of Literary Biography. Ref. PS 21 .D5: An international, multivolume compilation of biographical resources about writers. Check the person's name in the cumulative index in the latest volume, or in Gale's Literary Index to determine which volume to consult.
Dictionary of National Biography . Ref. DA 28 .D45: Signed scholarly articles on persons of the British Isles and Colonies. Does not include living persons.
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Biography. Ref. CT 103 .M27 (12 vols.)
Who Was Who. Ref. DA 28 .W65 (1897-1980): Brief biographical sketches of persons previously listed in Who's Who but now deceased. British emphasis.
Who Was Who in America. Ref. E 176 .W64 (1607-1989): Brief biographical sketches of persons previously listed in Who's Who in America but now deceased.
Who's Who Ref. DA 28 .W655: Includes persons living at the time of publication. Has British emphasis. It includes some persons of international renown. Check the Master Indexes (above) first to know which year to search.
Who's Who in America Ref. E 176 .W642: Includes persons living at the time of publication. This biographical dictionary is published every two years. It is indexed in the Master Indexes listed above, so check there first. If the person you are looking for is listed in this dictionary, the Master Indexes will tell you which year to look in.

Finding Information in Periodicals or Full-Text Databases

To begin your search for biographical information in a magazine, journal, or newspaper, search the person's name or profession as a subject in one of the resources listed below.

Selected full-text articles available online.
(Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Remote access available.
Current YSU or OhioLINK students, faculty and staff only. See Connecting from Home for more information).

Print source.
Available in library only.

Biography Index 1984 to date.: This is an index to biographies that may be found in books and/or periodical articles. However, if you first check the Biography and Genealogy Master Index (see above), it will tell you if your subject (person) is even indexed here, saving you from having to look in each volume of this index.; For assistance in searching, use online help or Ask a Librarian.
Contemporary Authors On-campus access Off-campus access: Biographical sketches of writers; includes bibliographical references.; For assistance in searching, use online help or Ask a Librarian.

If you know the discipline or profession in which the person was active, try a resource listed in one of the library's subject guides, one of the databases listed by subject, or consult one of the additional resources listed on the OhioLINK subject list for Biography.

World Wide Web Resources for Biography

Ohio Biography: http://ohiobio.org/; Browse the site by name, county or profession.
Biographies (Internet Public Library): http://www.ipl.org/div/subject/browse/ref15.00.00/; Gives links to other biographical resources and Web sites.
Biography.com: http://biography.com/; Web site for the popular cable tv show. Search for a name or browse alphabetically through 25,000 biographical sketches.
Lives, the Biography Resource: http://amillionlives.com/; A guide to over 3000 pages and sites of biographical information on persons who are no longer living.
People (Librarian's Index to the Internet): http://lii.org/search/file/people; Has links to biographical dictionaries, biographies about groups or families, and individual biographies.

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Last updated May 5, 2003.