Reference Resources: Biographical Information

African Biographical Dictionary
Second edition (2007) contains over 800 biographical sketches of individuals prominent in sub-Saharan history, as well as foreigners who have affected the continent's history. You can view the table of contents here.
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American Environmental Leaders: From Colonial Times To The Present
Two-volume set (2008) contains nearly 400 biographical entries on "the men and women who have made a significant contribution to environmental issues over the last 200 years." You may view a copy of the table of contents.
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American Men And Women Of Science
This is the latest edition (25th, 2008) of this biographical directory of information on over 130,000 living men and women in the physical, biological, and related sciences. Each entry provides birthdate, birthplace, field(s) of specialty, education, honorary degrees, current position, professional and career information, addresses, and more.
We also have online access to these previous editions: 22nd * 23rd * 24th
Earlier editions are available in printed form.
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American National Biography
The ANB contains orginal signed articles on more than 18,000 "men and women -- from all eras and walks of life -- whose lives have shaped the nation." In general, the database does not include essays on currently-living individuals.
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Australian Dictionary Of Biography
"Australia's pre-eminent dictionary of national biography... over 10,000 scholarly biographies of persons who were significant in Australian history. Entries on individuals who died after 1980 will be added as successive volumes of the ADB are published."
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Biographical Directory Of The U.S. Congress
Searchable database of information on members from 1774-to-date.
Also available as a PDF document from GPOAccess, but that document's coverage extends only through 2005.
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Biographical Encyclopedia Of The Modern Middle East And North Africa
This 2007 work includes over 300 profiles of 20th- and 21st-century leaders who belong to various political, ethnic, and religious groups, as well as notable individuals associated with business, literature, law, and other fields. Includes nationality and ethnicity indexes. You may view a copy of the table of contents.
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Black Americans In Congress, 1870-2007
Contains profiles of African American senators, congressmen, and delegates, as well as historical essays, collections of historical data, and more.
Part of a series of House publications "highlighting the congressional service of women and minority groups." (See also this site on women.)
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China Vitae
Database containing information on the past and current activities of political, financial, business and academic leaders in China. The information has been compiled through official Chinese sources and contains biographies of about 3,000 Chinese leaders, and tracks their recent official duties and public appearances, along with details of their previous career paths and memberships in institutions.
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Contemporary Authors
Contemporary Authors (CA) is a bio-bibliographical guide to over 120,000 current writers in fiction, general nonfiction, poetry, journalism, drama, motion pictures, television, and other fields.
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Dictionary Of Art Historians
This database is designed to give researchers a beginning point to learning the background of major art historians of western art history. The Dictionary of Art Historians is a work in progress. Entries which contain an historian's name and little else are yet to be completed.
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Dictionary Of Canadian Biography Online
A work in progress, the DCB will provide significant biographical essays on individuals who "played an important role in the formation of what is now Canada."
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Dictionary Of Political Biography
2009 online-only edition contains over 1,000 entries on "men and women who have shaped political events across the world."
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Dictionary Of Women Worldwide: 25,000 Women Through The Ages
Published in 2006, this two-volume set contains about 25,000 brief biographical entries on women from U.S. and non-U.S. history.
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Fifty Key Figures In Islam
Roy Jackson's 2006 volume includes for biographical details for each individual, presentation and analysis of main ideas, an account of impact and influence, and a list of major works and additional reading.
Acquisition was made possible by the Christopher Keller Jr. '39 Library Endowment for Philosophy and Religion.
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Fifty Key Medieval Thinkers
Focusing on individuals whose ideas shaped intellectual life between 400 and 1500, this 2002 volume is an introduction to "those religious, philosophical and political concepts central to the medieval worldview." You can view the table of contents here.
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Fifty Key Sociologist: The Contemporary Theorists
This 2006 volume "covers the life, work, ideas and impact of some of the most important thinkers in this discipline... concentrating on figures writing predominantly in the second half of the twentieth century." Includes Barthes, Fanon, Foucault, Geertz, Levi-Strauss, etc.
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Fifty Key Sociologists : The Formative Theorists
This 2006 volume "covers the life, work, ideas and impact of some of the most important thinkers in this discipline... concentrating on figures in the field writing principally in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries." Includes Marcuse, Marx, Lukacs, Spencer, Weber, Durkheim, etc.
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From Suffrage To The Senate: America's Political Women
Second edition (2006) of this compendium of biographies of leading women in U.S. politics, past and present, with additional primary source materials, entries on organizations and agencies, and more. You may view a copy of the table of contents.
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Governors Database
Searchable database of current and past U.S. governors, with brief biographical articles.
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Historical Dictionary Of Pakistan
Third edition (2006) includes a chronology, a list of acronyms and abbreviations, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and some 500 cross-referenced dictionary entries "presenting the more important persons, places, and events as well as salient aspects of the economy, society, culture, and religion."
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Literature Resource Center
Large database containing extensive biographical and critical information on writers, movements, and works from virtually all time periods.
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Marquis Who's Who On The Web
The database contains over 1 million biographical sketches of prominent men and women from around the world. The database includes the contents of 20 well-established publications, including Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in Media and Communications, and Who's Who in Finance and Industry, as well as tens of thousands of entries for individuals from American history.
The database is updated daily.
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Meet The Mayors Database
Searchable database of current U.S. mayors, with biographical information.
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Notable Latino Writers
This 2005 three-volume set is a collection of essays on 120 writers who are/were Latin American authors or U.S. authors of Latin descent. It also includes (at the end of Volume 3) a handful of essays on specific literary forms.
You may view a copy of the table of contents here.
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Obituaries From The World Almanac
Alphabetical listing of brief biographical articles on individuals who have died from 1980-to-date.
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Oxford Dictionary Of National Biography
The Oxford DNB contains original signed essays on over 50,000 "men and women who shaped all aspects of Britain's past, from the fourth century BC to the year 2000." In general, the database does not include essays on currently-living individuals.
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Oxford Encyclopedia Of Women In World History
Edited by Bonnie G. Smith, this four-volume work (2008) contains over 1,200 signed topical and biographical entries.
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Pan-Africa History: Political Figures From Africa And The Diaspora Since 1787
Pan-African History contains biographical and critical essays on about 40 "thinkers and activists from the Anglophone and Francophone worlds of the past 200 years," including Malcolm X, Patrice Lumumba, and Frantz Fanon.
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Scribner Encyclopedia Of American Lives
Seven-volume set containing scholarly, signed biographical essays on about 2,600 notable "individuals who made major professional or artistic contributions while living in the United States" and who died from 1981 through 2005.
This purchase was made possible by the Lois Ferguson and Fred Carrington Cole Endowment.
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Speakers Of The House Of Representatives, 1789-2009
This 2009 volume contains biographies on each of the 52 Speakers, as well as historical essays, primary source documents, and more. You may view a copy of the table of contents.
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Who's Who Among African Americans
Provides brief biographical and career details on more than 20,000 contemporary African Americans, including leaders from politics, the arts, business, sports, religion, etc.
The above link takes you to the most recent (23nd) edition, published in 2009.
We also have online access to these earlier editions: 19th   20th   22nd.
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Who's Who In American Art
Who's Who in American Art has over 14,000 biographies of the most noteworthy men and women in today's art world - including notable artists from the past. Use this unique database to quickly locate artists, critics, curators, administrators, librarians, historians, collectors, conservators, educators, dealers - everyone that's anyone in the visual arts in North America. Search from among today's leading artists using any combination of the following criteria: name, profession, media, gender, birth information and keyword. Biographies are displayed in an easy-to-read format with subject headings that include classification, media, birth information, education, exhibitions, business and professional positions, honors and awards, and more.
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Who's Who In American Politics
Searchable database of profiles of about 36,000 contemporary U.S. political leaders. This resource is "attached" to our subscription to Marquis Who's Who and is available only from a link on the left side of the opening page.
Earlier printed editions are available in the library collection.
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Women In Congress, 1917-2006
Profiles of the 229 women who have served in the U.S. Senate and House, divided into four "generations,"as well as historical and analytical material.
Part of a series of House publications "highlighting the congressional service of women and minority groups." (See also this site on black Americans in Congress.)
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Women In The Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia (Volume 1, A-J)
Two-volume set (2005) with over 300 signed entries that conclude with extensive bibliographies of both primary and secondary sources. Entries cover people and topics ranging from the third to the fifteenth centuries.
This volume includes entries beginning with the letters A-through-J, with other entries in Volume 2.
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Women In The Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia (Volume 2, K-Z)
Two-volume set (2005) with over 300 signed entries that conclude with extensive bibliographies of both primary and secondary sources. Entries cover people and topics ranging from the third to the fifteenth centuries.
This volume includes entries beginning with the letters L-through-Z, with other entries in Volume 1.
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Writers Directory
PLEASE NOTE: THIS RESOURCE WILL NOT BE UPDATED AFTER SEPTEMBER 2009.
Up-to-date biographical and contact information for approximately 20,000 living authors worldwide who have at least one English publication. Entries typically include name, pseudonyms, addresses, citizenship, birth date, specialization, career information, and -- if available -- an e-mail address.
The link above takes you to the current edition -- 2009 (published in 2008). We also have online access to these earlier editions: 2008.
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