banner


Biography  
Reference Resources
Locating Books
Locating Articles
Web Resources
Prepared by: Rebecca Bowen
Maag Library, Reference Department
(330)941-3680

Overview

Maag Library provides access to biographies, autobiographies, books, journals and other data through print and online resources. The specific resources listed below are a portion of what is available through the library. If you need additional assistance, Ask a Librarian!

 
Reference Resources

Use these encyclopedias, dictionaries and almanacs for background information about individuals, as well as additional works by or about the individual.

  • American national biography online Ref CT213 .A682
    This traditional print resource that is now available online offers portraits of more than 17,400 American men and women. The online features thousands of illustrations, more than 80,000 hyperlinked cross-references, links to select web sites, and search capabilities.
  • Artist biographies master index Ref N40 .A78 1986
    A consolidated index to more than 27,000 biographical sketches of artists living and dead, as they appear in a selection of the principal biographical dictionaries devoted to the fine and applied arts, including painters, sculptors, illustrators, designers, graphic artists, craftsmen, architects, and photographers.
  • Author biographies master index Ref Z5304.A8 A88
    A consolidated guide to biographical information concerning authors living and dead as it appears in a selection of the principal biographical dictionaries devoted to authors, poets, journalists, and other literary figures.
  • Biography and genealogy master index Ref Z5305.U5 B56
    A consolidated index to biographical sketches in current and retrospective biographical dictionaries.
  • Dictionary of literary biography Ref PS21 .D5
    An international, multivolume compilation of biographical resources about writers. Check the person's name in the cumulative index in the latest volume.
  • Oxford dictionary of national biography online Ref DA28
    Includes information about the lives of the peoples of the British Isles and their connections overseas, from the earliest times to the end of the year 2000. The online version of this print work also contains links, graphics, and is updated quarterly.
  • Who was who in America Ref E176 .W64
    Brief biographical sketches of persons previously listed in Who's Who but are now deceased. Covers the period of 1609 thru 1989.
  • Who's who Ref DA28 .W6
    Includes persons living at the time of publication. Has British emphasis. It also includes some persons of international renown.

 
Locating Books

Books can be found through MaagNet, the Maag Library online catalog or through the OhioLINK Catalog. Use MaagNet to locate items available through Maag Library. Use the OhioLINK catalog to locate items available through other OhioLINK institutions. These items can be requested and delivered to Maag Library for pickup.

The Maag Library does not have a 'special' section of books dedicated to biographies or autobiographies. When searching Maagnet or the OhioLINK catalog, search by subject using the person's name. Use as much of the name as you know. For example:
  • Beethoven
  • Beethoven, Ludwig van
Search by subject using a profession and the subheading biography. For example:
  • Architects-Biography
  • Geologists-Biography
  • Nurses-Biography
  • Presidents-United States-Biography
For an autobiography, search by author using a person's name. For example:
  • X, Malcolm
  • Franklin, Benjamin
  • Mill, John Stuart
For more help locating resources, see our general help section onFinding Books.

Browsing for books
Biography resources are located throughout the library: items in the Reference Room, Serials and in the circulating collection are all arranged according to the Library of Congress Classification System. Once you locate a book or journal that is useful in one of these areas, you can locate information on the same or similar topics by locating the same call number in the other areas of the library. See Call Numbers and Floor Plans for assistance.
 
Locating Articles

Biography articles are available in print and electronic sources. The information below will help you decide where to begin searching for articles.

Online Articles

Many biography journals are now available through online subscription databases and through the OhioLINK Electronic Journal Center. Various terms can be used to search these databases, including subject, keywords and relevant dates. Most databases allow access by current YSU faculty, students and staff from off campus, although a few are restricted to in-library use only. For more information about connecting from home, see off-campus access.
  • OhioLINK Biography 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 these resources.
These databases provide a starting point for your research. To see other available databases, visit the Research Databases page.
 
Web Resources

The links below provide access to biography resources on the Internet.