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Use your browser's print controls to print a copy of this resource guide. Biographical ResourcesIntroduction to the CollectionsThe Reading Rooms of the General Research Division house most of the major biographical reference sources, many of which are found on the open shelves. These include indexes and guides to biographical material as well as biographical dictionaries, works of collective biography (concerned with groups of individuals, often arranged by nationality or vocation), and a selection of biographies of notable individuals. Users are welcome to browse this collection of reference materials, located
in the South Hall of the Rose Main Reading Room. Depending on the subject of your research, you may find that individual and collective biographies may be located in another division of the Library. For instance, individuals researching an artist will likely find many artist biographies located in the Art & Architecture Collection. Refer to the location field in CATNYP to determine where your material is held. The Library also subscribes to many electronic resources that will be helpful to the researcher. These resources can be used from the public computers in any of our reading rooms, including those located in the South Hall of the Rose Main Reading Room, adjacent to the biography print reference materials. Using the Library’s CatalogsCATNYP is the online catalog of The New York Public Library's four Research Libraries. It is easily accessible via the World Wide Web at http://catnyp.nypl.org. For general instructions on using CATNYP, please consult Using the Library's Online Catalog. The following information is specific to the subject of Biography. Biographies of individuals can be found by performing a subject search on the individual's name. When doing a subject search on a person, remember to enter the last name first: Nixon, Richard Pym, Barbara To search for biographical material about groups of people, there are 2 approaches. A subject search will yield more precise results, but only if you know the appropriate Library of Congress subject headings for your topic. If you do, simply add the word biography:
If you do not know the Library of Congress subject headings for your topic, it will be easier to perform a word search. A word search will generally retrieve more items, though many of them may not be relevant. When performing a word search, be sure to use the word "and" between each term:
After you retrieve your results in a word search, scan the record of one of the items. You will see that item's subject headings listed, and can then perform a subject search, if desired. For example, the search above for "clergy and biography" retrieves 2107 items. Scanning the item records reveals such helpful subject headings as "women clergy – biography" and "clergy – Ireland – biography." You can click on any of these hypertext links to perform a quick subject search, and locate similar items. Some additional useful subject headings for biographical research include:
If visiting the Library, you may wish to search the Dictionary Catalog, most of whose entries now appear in CATNYP. In this catalog, books about a person normally follow the listing of books written by that individual. In order to search for an individual biography in the Dictionary Catalog, search under the individual's surname:
If a search in the catalogs does not locate a biographical entry for a given individual, a librarian in Room 315 may be able to recommend other appropriate tools for biographical research. If you are not in the library, you may also e-mail us for assistance at grdref@nypl.org. Indexes and Guides to Biographical SourcesThe following is a selective list of biographical sources at the Research Libraries and is in no way comprehensive. The emphasis is on those basic and important tools which will satisfy a specific informational need, or lead the researcher to more specialized resources in the field. These sources are complemented by the Library's collection of encyclopedias, both general and specialized, which provide succinct biographical data on many individuals. Many electronic indexes are available, and are discussed in the "Electronic Resources" section of this research guide. Almanac of Famous People (Detroit: Gale Research Co., irregular; latest edition is available at the Information Desk in Room 315). This reference work includes both historical and contemporary figures. For each person, it gives one or more sources for further information, taken from a list of approximately 360 biographical dictionaries and related works. Particularly useful for its chronological index (enumerating those who were born or died on a particular date), geographic index (wherein individuals are arranged under place of birth or death), and occupational index. Biography and Genealogy Master Index, 2nd edition with supplements (Detroit: Gale, 1980- ). *R-AA 81-1683. This multi-volume work is a consolidated index to biographical sketches in current and retrospective biographical dictionaries. Supplemented by Historical Biographical Dictionaries Master Index (Detroit: Gale, 1980; JFF 81-606) an index to biographical information concerning historical personages, with a particular focus on deceased prominent Americans; approximately thirty-five retrospective biographical dictionaries are analyzed. This index is available online as well. Biography Index (New York: H. W. Wilson Co., 1946-). *R-*D 86-2706. An index to biographical material about people from all countries, periods, and occupations. The material indexed is limited to English language books and periodicals. This is a particularly valuable source as it analyzes all types of biographical material, including diaries, essays, memoirs, authobiographies, and genealogies. In addition to the principal index, which is arranged by name, there is an index by profession and occupation. This index is available online as well, from 1984-present. Falk, Byron. Personal Name Index to "The New York Times Index" (Succasunna, N. J.: Roxbury Data Interface, 1976- ). *R-*A 80-3601. Especially useful for names which are somewhat unusual, this set's value is diminished for common names, since it does not differentiate among individuals who share the same name. The 22-volume set covers 1851 through 1974, and the supplements bring the coverage forward to 1999. Hyamson, Albert M. A Dictionary of Universal Biography of All Ages and All Peoples, 2nd edition (New York: Dutton, 1966) *R-AA 73-1101. An index to people appearing in biographical dictionaries, national biographies, and encyclopedias (including such works as the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica and The Annual Register). While this dictionary attempts to cover people of all countries and times, its usefulness extends only to the middle of the twentieth century. The most recent biographical source cited was published in 1949. Index to Who's Who Books (Chicago: Marquis, 1985- ) Current edition available at the Information Desk in Room 315; older editions cataloged under JFN 85-23. This index to the Who's Who books published by Marquis continues the Marquis Who's Who Publications Index to All Books, which was published from 1974 through 1984; its call number is JFN 80-10. Ireland, Norma. Index to Women of the World from Ancient to Modern Times: Biographies and Portraits (Westwood, Mass.: Faxon, 1970) *RB-SNE. This work provides references to biographical sketches of women which appear in biographical dictionaries, collective biographies, and individual biographies. Phillips, Lawrence B. The Dictionary of Biographical Reference (Detroit: Gale, 1981 reprint of 1888 edition)*R-AA 82-1110. This work covers more than 100,000 people and represents all countries and times until the last decade of the nineteenth century. It indexes approximately forty reference tools including encyclopedias, collective biographies, biographical dictionaries, and histories. Riches, Phyllis M. An Analytical Bibliography of Universal Collected Biography: Comprising Books Published in the English Tongue in Great Britain and Ireland, America, and the British Dominions (Detroit: Gale, 1980 reprint of 1934 edition) *RS-A 81-269. This is an index to biographies of persons (from all countries and periods through the early twentieth century) found in collective biographies and histories published in the English language. In addition to the index arranged by name of biographee, there is also a list arranged by profession or trade. Slocum, Robert B. Biographical Dictionaries and Related Works; An International Bibliography of More than 16,000 Collected Biographies, 2nd edition (Detroit: Gale, 1986) *RS-A 86-4306. This listing of biographical dictionaries (and some related items) is arranged internationally and nationally as well as by vocational interest, with author, title, and subject indexes. This work is especially useful for determining whether a biographical dictionary exists for specific geographical locales or specialized groups. Geographic Biographical SourcesMany of the resources available for biographers are arranged by geographical location. These resources can help the researcher find more specific information on individuals not included in the general indexes. International | American | French | German | Italian | United Kingdom | Other Areas International Biographical Sources
United Kingdom Biographical Sources
Biographical Sources for Other Areas
Specialized Biographical SourcesThe Research Libraries hold an impressive number of specialized biographical sources, though only a few of the most important are given here. Literary | Historical | Religion | Others American Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide from Colonial Times to the Present [Detroit: St. James Press, 2000] 4 vols. *R-SNE 00-470. Contemporary Authors (Detroit: Gale, 1962- ) 123 vols., in progress,*RR-AB. The biographical sketches in this work cover living writers from many countries but with an Anglo-American bias, and provide personal information about the biographee in addition to writings, work in progress, and biographical sources. The writers analyzed represent many fields including humanities, social sciences, and physical sciences. The main series is supplemented by the new revision series and the autobiography series. The index in the most recently published volume provides access to entries in the entire set. Cyclopedia of World Authors, edited by Frank N. Magill, [Pasadena, CA: Salem Press, 1997] 5 vols. *R-AB 98-578 International in scope, provides biographical and critical information, with bibliographies. Index by author and geographical locale; time line included. Dictionary of Literary Biography (Detroit: Gale, 1978- ), 64 vols., in progress.*R-AB 70-1061. Each volume of this impressive work is devoted to a different period, style, or dimension of American or British literary history (e.g., Victorian novelists, American journalists, Afro-American fiction writers). Within each volume are substantive essays discussing the contributions and significance of representative authors; these entries include not only biographical data but also a list of the author's writings, bibliographies on the author, and a selection of biographical and critical works. This work is supplemented by the Dictionary of Literary Biography Yearbook (Detroit: Gale, 1981- ) and the Dictionary of Literary Biography Documentary Series (Detroit: Gale, 1982- ). An index covering all three sets cumulates in the latest volume of the main set. The supplementary sets are shelved with the main series in the Reading Room. Directory of American Scholars, 10th edition (Detroit: Gale group, 2002], 6 vols. *RR-AB 02-2171. Each volume of this work provides brief biographical data on living American and Canadian scholars (including their publications) within specific academic disciplines. Volume 6 includes indexes by name, academic specialty, and college affiliation. For earlier editions of this work, consult a librarian at the Information Desk in Room 315. Annotated Index of Medieval Women [New York: M. Wiener Pub., 1992] *R-SNE 92-17460 Contemporary Black Biography [Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1982- ], 33 vols., in progress. *R-AB 92-415 Essays on famous black personalities, past and present; although international in scope, most entries deal with Americans. Bibliographies included. Extraordinary Women of the Medieval and Renaissance World: A Biographical Dictionary, edited by Carole Levin and others [Westport, CT; London: Greenwood Press, 2000] JFF 00-16731 The Late Medieval Age of Crisis and Renewal, 1300-1500: A Biographical Dictionary, edited by Clayton J. Drees [Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001] *R-BTH 01-142 Latin American Lives [New York: Macmillan Library Reference USA, 1998] *R-AGU 00-9274 Renaissance and Reformation, 1500-1620: A Biographical Dictionary, edited by Jo Eldridge Carney [Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001] *R-BTT 01-141 Snodgrass, Mary Ellen. Who's Who in the Middle Ages [Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2001] *R-BTH 01-6519 Truhart, Peter. Regents of Nations: Systematic Chronology of States and their Political Representatives in Past and Present: A Biographical Reference Book [Munich; New York: Sauer, 1984-1988], 3 vols. in 4 *R-AB 85-2066 A list of the rulers and heads of state of the world from ancient times to present, arranged geographically. Valuable for its inclusion of leaders of sub-divisions like provinces. This is now being revised by a new edition, in progress, with the same title, whose call number is *R-AB 01-146. Tyerman, Christopher. Who's Who in Early Medieval England, 1066-1272 [London: Shepheard-Walwyn, 1996] JFD 96-18903 Bibliotheca Sanctorum [Rome: Instituto Giovanni XXIII, 1961-1969] 12 vols. and separate index volume JFF 98-1511 Bowden, Henry W. Dictionary of American Religious Biography, 2nd ed. (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood, 1993) *R-AB 93-11016 Presented here are biographical sketches of major figures in American religious history (all deceased); the bibliographies include works by and about the biographee. Butler, Alban. Butler's Lives of the Saints [Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press; Tunbridge Wells: Burns and Oates, 1995-2000] 12 vols. *R-ZDK 96-4907 The Complete Who's Who in the Bible, edited by Paul Gardner [London: Marshall Pickering, 1995] *R- *YID 96-4924 Lockyear, Herbert. All the Men of the Bible; All the Women of the Bible [Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1996] * R- *YID 96-12780 American Men and Women of Science, 15th edition (New York: Bowker, 1982), 7 vols. *RR-AB 72-310. This work provides brief personal information on 130,000 living individuals active in the physical and biological sciences. This series is limited to American and Canadian scholars, but does include foreign nationals living in the two countries. Earlier editions (issued at irregular intervals) also listed social and behavioral scientists; for these, inquire at the Information Desk in Room 315. A cumulative index for first fourteen editions of this work is entitled American Men and Women of Science: Cumulative Index (New York: Bowker, 1983) *R-AB 85-1851, or at the Information Desk at Room 315. Chambers Biographical Dictionary of Women, edited by Melanie Parry [Edinburgh: Chambers, 1996] *R-SNE 96-16428 Dictionary of Scientific Biography, Charles C. Gillispie, editor-in-chief. [New York: Scribner, 1970-1980] 16 vols., with vol.. 15 a supplement and vol. 16 an index. *R-AB Scholarly biographies of scientists from all periods and places; extensive bibliographies. Recent supplements, numbered vols. 17 and 18, have the call number *R-AB- 00-787. Another copy is available at the Science, Industry, and Business Library. International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (New York: Macmillan; London: Free Press, 1968-1980).*R-SB. This 17-volume work contains approximately 400 biographical articles, including bibliographies, on well-known social scientists deceased at time of publication or born before 1891. Coverage is extended with the encyclopedia's biographical supplement (v. 18), published in 1979. This volume contains an additional 215 articles on social scientists deceased since preparation of the original set or born prior to 1909 Notable Black American Women, edited by Jessie Carney Smith [Detroit: Gale Research, 1992] *R-AB 92-3254 Esaays on famous black women in the United States, both past and present. Supplemented by Notable Black American Women: Book II, edited by Jessie Carney Smith [Detroit: Gale Research, 1996] *R-AB 98-2971. Both volumes have bibliographies. Notable Native Americans, edited by Sharon Malinowski [New York: Gale Research, 1995] *R-HBM 95-6069 Electronic ResourcesReaders are urged to consult the Library's listing of electronic resources for an up to date list. To access these databases, you must use one of the public computers located in the Library. Many of our reading rooms have dedicated computers to electronic resources, with the majority of them located in the South Hall of the Rose Main Reading Room. The following databases are particularly useful: American National Biography offers portraits of more than 17,400 men and women -- from all eras and walks of life -- whose lives have shaped the nation. Conceived as the successor to the Dictionary of American biography. Includes bibliographical references and index. Biography and Genealogy Master Index, an index to biographical listings in English-language biographical dictionaries, subject encyclopedias, and related works for over 12.7 million people. The listings often provide birth and death years, as well as giving the source of the biographical listing, publisher, year of publication, and other pertinent data. Biography Index, an index to English-language biographical material appearing in books, magazines, and selected newspapers. It indexes interviews, obituaries, biographical novels, poetry, and juvenile literature, as well as current book-length and collective biographies. Biography Resource Center, database of biographical information on more than 150,000 individuals from all parts of the world; the information is taken from standard biographical resources, many of which are available also in print format at the Library. Literature Resource Center, includes biographical and biocritical information on writers from all times and places; it is related to several print resources, including Contemporary Authors, Dictionary of Literary Biography, and Contemporary Literary Criticism. New York Times Online Current and Backfile (Proquest) These 2 electronic databases provide the full text of The New York Times from its founding in 1851 through the present; since the access is via keyword, the researcher is able to gather information about a person (e.g., news article, obituary, paid death notice, etc.) by simply entering that person’s name. World Biographical Index, a compiled index to biographial archives containing about 2.4 million entries for individuals in the Western world. The entry for each persons includes years of birth and death, occupation, quoted source, and bibliographic information about the sources used. Selected Internet Sites
Related SubjectsYou may find the following research guides helpful to you in your work: Using the Library's Online Catalogs Obituaries, Death Notices, and Guides to Burial Places of Notables Where to Go for More HelpThis research guide is a small sample of what The New York Public Library can offer you in your research. For further assistance, the librarians of The New York Public Library are here to help you. General Research Division,
Humanities and Social Sciences Library
Milstein Division of US History, Local History and Genealogy, Humanities and Social Sciences Library Located in Room 121, the staff of the Milstein Division are available to assist you with yoru research. Because of the many overlaps between genealogy and biography, you may find many of their resources helpful in your research.
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