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Group Evaluations / Biographies
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Almanac of Famous People
American National Biography
Biography and Genealogy Master Index
Biography
Biography.com
Biography Index
Cambridge Biographical Encyclopedia
Contemporary Authors
Current Biography
Dictionary of American Biography
Dictionary of National Biography
Encyclopedia of World Biography
The International Who's Who
Marquis Who's Who
Merriam-Webster's Biographical Dictionary
Dictionary of American Negro Biography
New York Times Biographical Service
Who Was Who | NF
Who Was Who in America | NF
Marquis Who's Who | NF
Who's Who | NF
Who's Who in America | NF
Who's Who in the World | NF
Who's Who of American Women | NF
Almanac of Famous People
Citation
Almanac of famous people. (9th ed.). (2 vols). (2007). Detroit: Thomson Gale.
Authority
This almanac was published by Thomson Gale. They are known for research and educational publications since 1954, such as Book Review Index and InfoTrac.
Comprehensiveness within stated scope
This almanac contains bibliographic information on over 30,000 famous people. They are included in this almanac because they were popular, were controversial, did something newsworthy, or were known for a crime. They can be from ancient times to the year 2000.
Ease of Use
Entries are alphabetically by subject last name, and may include nickname, birth-name, date and place of birth and death, nationality, occupation, awards, and contribution.
Bibliographies
There are citations to sources that contain additional biographical information in most entries
Currency
New editions are published every few years to ensure accuracy and to remain up-to-date, with any revisions if needed.
Special Features
This index provides four indexes organized by geography, occupation, chronological by date, and chronological by year. This makes for easier and more proficient searching.
American National Biography
Citation
American national biography. (24 vol). (1998). New York: Oxford University Press.
Authority
This book is published by the Oxford University Press, the largest and most diverse American university press and publisher, with 3,300 scholarly books in print. Biographies have been written by respected experts of their fields.
Comprehensiveness within stated scope
This book contains biographies for 17,500 people who have influenced America, whether as a leader, an entertainer, or an outlaw (to name a few). They can be from ancient times to recent times.
Ease of Use
This book is easy to use. There are over 17,000 entries that are listed alphabetically by last name. They are 1-2 pages long, and include birth and death dates, biography, and bibliography. Biographies are good-sized and comprehensible. Information is also indexed by subject, contributor, state or country of birth, and by occupation and realms of renown.
Bibliographies
Bibliographies available in entry.
Currency
Supplements were published in 2002 and 2005 to extend coverage and accuracy of information. New listings and other revisions are included. Entries are signed by author.
Special Features
This book is also available as online database, allowing for more results and easier searching.
Biography and Genealogy Master Index
Citation
Biography and genealogy master index. (4th ed). (2003). Detroit: Gale
Authority
This index is published by Gale, a leader in educational publishing for libraries, school, and businesses. They are known for their accurate and reliable information, such as Book Review Index and Almanac of Famous People.
Comprehensiveness within stated scope
This index helps the reader navigate through publications, to find the best one for the biographical information they need. It provides information on almost 5 million living and dead people, from all over the world, all known for different reasons. It offers 1,700 biographical sources whether from subject encyclopedias, biographical dictionaries, who’s who guides, and works of literary criticism.
Ease of Use
This index is easy to use. Entries are alphabetized by last name of subject, and include name of the subject birth and death dates, and bibliographic references to relevant sources.
Bibliographies
Indexes bibliographic sources.
Currency
Volumes are published every 5 years, which is fairly current for biographies. However, supplements are available twice a year, making this source more valuable and up-to-date.
Special Features
This index is also available online as a database. It is updated several times year, making it very recent, and provides easier searching
Biography
Citation
Biography. Retrieved April 15, 2009 from
http://www.library.uiuc.edu/rex/erefs/biography.html.
Authority
Sources included on this page are from well-known and respected publishers. They include GaleNet, Marquis, Oxford University Press, among other publishers known for their reliable research and educational publications.
Comprehensiveness within stated scope
This site provides links to 17 different sources, containing a vast supply of biographical information on all types of people, from all over the world, from ancient times to now. Illustrations and bibliographical information can be included.
Audience
This intended audience for this page is the students and employees of the University of Illinois.
Ease of Use
This page is the biography section under the University of Illinois library's Online Reference Collection. It lists entries for various biographical sources, which include links to the source, most of which are accessible only by UIC students and employees. Entries also include a brief, clear description and scope of the source.
Pictures
American National Biographies, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, and Oxford African American Studies Center all contain photos or illustrations.
Bibliographies
Descriptions of four of the sources actually state that they provide bibliographies or bibliographical information.
Currency
The guide states that Writers Directory has up-to-date information, Biography and Genealogy Master Index is updated biannually, and the Oxford African American Studies Center is updated daily. It can be assumed that other sources, such as Biography.com, may be updated frequently
Special Features
This site offers quick access to online versions of reliable print biographical sources. Because they are online, they have the ability to be updates more frequently, to provide links to other sources, and to make for more efficient searching.
Biography.com
Citation
Biography.com. Retrieved April 16, 2009 from http://www.biography.com/
Authority
This website is provided by A&E Television Networks. They are known for providing the Biography television channel and the History Channel.
Comprehensiveness within stated scope
This website features biographies of famous people, from ancient times to the present, however it mostly features current celebrities. It includes featured biographies, photo and video galleries, games, Born on this Day, headlines and news, TV listings for their television channel and more.
Audience
This website is informative, yet fun and light-hearted. It appears to be intended for anyone who is interested in a celebrity and wants a brief biography and photos. There are some more in-depth biographies for users interested in research, however all the games and videos make this website seem as though it is more for fun.
Ease of use
This website can be search by keyword or subject name. Entries may contain subject's birth name and recognized name, date of birth and death, 1 to 4 page average biographies (can be in the 20+), video images, photo galleries, a list of related people, related works, and related websites. If a selected feature subject, biography page can be more in-depth.
Pictures
There are many picture and photo galleries available.
Bibliographies
N/A
Currency
This website is updated frequently.
Special Features
This site features many games and quizzes, biographies for kids, discussion forums, photo and video galleries, Born on This Day, Headline News, What's on TV, Bio's Best, and their online store.
Biography Index
Citation
Biography index. Retrieved April 16, 2009 from http://library.ucf.edu/
Authority
This database is provided by H.W. Wilson, one of the most recognizable names in education and research publications. They are known for publishing many well-
known books found in the library, such as Short Story Index, Bibliographic Index, and Book Review Digest. This database was put together by an in-house staff of librarians and subject specialists.
Comprehensiveness within stated scope
This database indexes over a million biographical sources from periodicals, individual and collective biographical books, and other sources. Subjects are from ancient times to present, from all over the world, known for different reasons. This database contains the equivalent of 29 print volumes.
Ease of use
Can search by keyword or Boolean terms, and can specify if full text is needed. Can also browse by subject, or use thesaurus. Entries may provide the full display of the record (includes subject name, date of birth and death, profession), full text of the biography article, related images, related items, articles, and book citations, and related full text articles.
Pictures
Included
Bibliographies
Citations to bibliographies included
Currency
This database averages 22,000 new citations a year
Special Features
This index provides insights that reflect perspectives of the time the subjects lived during. It also uses updated terminology, allowing the user to search with contemporary terms.
Cambridge Biographical Encyclopedia
Citation
Crystal, D. (1998). The Cambridge biographical encyclopedia. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Authority:
Cambridge University Press
Scope/ Selection Criteria/ Comprehensiveness:
It is the successor to the Chamber’s Biographical Dictionary and contains information taken from that and from Cambridge’s in-house database. Its entries focus on figures in popular culture.
Length of Entry:
There are 26,000 entries covering both living and deceased. The entries are one paragraph in length and cover all time periods.
Ease of use:
It is easy to use as all entries are alphabetic by last name and are in letter by letter arrangement.
Pictures:
There are some pictures.
Bibliographies:
There are no bibliographies.
Currency:
The second edition was printed in 1998, over 10 years ago.
Special Features:
There is a ready reference section which lists such things as political rulers, Saints, Nobel prizewinner, etc. There is a Contemporaries section listing significant events from the A-Z section, arranged year by year from 1500-1997 so it is easier to see which people lived at the same time and what was happening all over the world in each year. There is also a Connections section which brings people together who belong together because of their participation in a historical event.
Contemporary Authors
Citation
Contemporary authors. 1962. Detroit: Gale Research Co.
Authority:
Gale Research Co.
Scope/ Selection Criteria/ Comprehensiveness:
The subtitle for this series is A bio-bibliographical guide to current writers in fiction, general nonfiction, poetry, journalism, drama, motion pictures, television and other fields.The series which started in 1962 had done 120,000 profiles of writers since
then. As can be seen from the subtitle, they include writers of all genres. This makes this an excellent resource to begin a biographical search.
Length of Entry:
The entries begin with a brief overview of the person and their work and then go into a more detailed biographical essay. I found the articles to be very interesting to read and very informative.
Ease of use:
The organization of print version is a bit complex. Since new volumes are put out several times a year, you must use the cumulative index to find out which of the numbered volumes the person you are looking for is in. In this index, authors who have article in any of the variations of the series will have all of their entries for each series listed in the cumulative index. Once you understand the system, it is easy to follow. However, since they now have an online version, it eliminates this problem altogether since you just put in the person’s name and get all of their entries in any of the Series.
Pictures:
A few of the entries had photos but not many.
Bibliographies:
All entries had bibliographies and also critical sources.
Currency:
Several volumes are printed each year and each volume contains a cumulative index to the entire set.
Special Features:
The cumulative index also gives the location of articles in other versions of this series such as the Revision Series, the Autobiographical Series, and the Dictionary of Literary Biography Seies.
Current Biography
Citation
H.W. Wilson Company. (1940). Current biography. Bronx, N.Y.: H.W. Wilson.
Authority
Published by H.W. Wilson Company
Scope/ Selection Criteria/ Comprehensiveness:
This series focuses on notable individuals while they are still living. Research is done on them through newspapers, magazines, internet searches, reference books, and government news releases.
Length of Entry:
Entries are lengthy, have good readability and are objective in viewpoint. They give information on both the person’s professional and private life.
Ease of use:
Use of the indexes are a must in order to find out which volume the person is in. There is a cumulative index of all biographies published in the series from 1940-2000. For entries after 2000, the yearbooks have the index on them.
Pictures:
A picture of each author is given.
Bibliographies:
Bibliographies are included at the end of each entry.
Currency :
Updates are put out monthly and accumulated into an annual yearbook.
Special Features:
Whenever a person who has had an entry in the series dies, a short obituary notice is given on them. Each obituary notice references their entry and also their New York Times obituary if there was one.
Dictionary of American Biography
Citation:
American Council of Learned Societies. (1928). Dictionary of American biography.
New York: Scribner.
Authority:
Published by Scribner’s in New York
Scope/ Selection Criteria/ Comprehensiveness:
The subtitle for this resource says it is biographies of “Person's Who Have Been Remarkable, or Prominently Connected with the Arts, Sciences, Literature, Politics, or History of the American Continent.”
This is what is called a retrospective biography. Its entries are only of people who are deceased. For example, Supplement #10, published in 1995, has entries on people who had died during the period of 1976-1980. According to our textbook (Bopp p.395), some scholars felt this series was too dated and lacked diversity. Another series entitled American National Biography was produced. However, many believe that the new series acts more as a complement to the original series instead of as a replacement and highly recommend the use of both.
Length of Entry:
The entries are signed and are of a good length. According to the introduction, the editors have tried to leave the reader with an impression of the person’s personality, not just facts about their life.
Ease of use:
Indexes must be used to determine which volume each person’s entry is in.
Pictures:
There are no pictures included.
Bibliographies:
Bibliographies are included at the end of each article.
Currency:
The last supplement was published in 1985 and includes people who died no later than 1980. As mentioned above, it was replaced by the American National Biography, which is available in both print and online formats.
Special Features:
According to the introduction, the articles in this resource were based as much as possible on original research, with its accuracy checked by specially delegated employees working through the resources of the Library of Congress.
Dictionary of National Biography
Citation
Dictionary of National Biography. 22 vols. London: Smith, Elder, 1908-1909.
Supplements, 1912- .
Authority
Published by Oxford University Press. Each article is signed by author with a list of sources
Scope
Aims to provide full, accurate, concise and readable articles on noteworthy people prior to the year 1900
Entries
Each entry is about one page and entries are arranged alphabetically by last name. Also birth and death dates are listed as well as their occupation and biography
Pictures
There is not a picture for every entry but one for every five entries approximately
Bibliographies
Each entry has a list of sources provided
Currency
The copyright of the book is 2004, but the information is only covered to the year 1900
Encyclopedia of World Biography
Citation
Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2nd ed. 17 vols. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Supplement. 1
vol. 1999.
Authority
Published by Gale
Scope
Provide biographical information on prominent people from many time periods to the present. Contains over 7,000 entries
Entries
Arranged alphabetically and contain a summary of the person’s life followed the person’s accomplishments
Pictures
Usually each entry contained a portrait of the person
Bibliographies
At the end of each entry there was a list of further reading
Currency
1998
The International Who's Who
Citation
The International Who's Who, 2000. 63rd ed. London: Europa, 1999.
Authority
Articles are written by the actual person or by the editor or the Europa Editorial Department.
Scope
Contains people of interest and importance in many fields with over 22,000 entries
Entries
Entries are arranged in alphabetical order by last name. Each entry contains the person’s country, profession, birth and death date, home town, parent’s names, souses, children, education, professional memberships, accomplishments and contact information/
Pictures
None
Bibliographies
None
Currency
2008
Marquis Who's Who
Citation
Marquis Who's Who. (Dialog file 234)
Authority
Marquis
Scope
Provides reference access to people listed in Marquis Who’s Who biographical publications. Contains the name of approximately 332,000 individuals
Entries
Names are arranged alphabetically according to surname. A table of abbreviations is used to indicate which directory the complete biographical sketch can be found.
Pictures
None
Bibliographies
None contained in the index
Currency
1993
Merriam-Webster's Biographical Dictionary
Citation
Merriam-Webster's Biographical Dictionary. Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster,
1995.
Authority
Published by Merriam Webster. Entries are written by the editors and some criticisms, corrections and suggestions are made by readers and users.
Scope
Presents in a single volume biographical information on important, celebrated or notorious figures from the last 5,000 years, beginning with Menes, King of Egypt and continuing to 30,000 more entries.
Entries
Entries include name, pronunciation, prenames, titles, birth and death dates, nationality and pertinent details of the subject’s career
Pictures
None
Bibliographies
None
Currency
1995
Dictionary of American Negro Biography
Citation:
Logan, R. W., & Winston, M. R. (1982). Dictionary of American Negro biography. New
York: Norton.
Authority:
W. W. Norton & Company, the oldest and largest publishing house owned wholly by its employees publishes about 400 books annually in hardcover and paperback. Norton has been known for its distinguished publishing programs in both the trade and the college textbook areas.
Scope/ Selection Criteria/ Comprehensiveness:
This resource was published in order to fill a gap in the Dictionary of American Biography. In the DAB there are only 81 articles on African Americans. The Dictionary of American Negro Biography contains several hundred articles. Many of the people included made contributions to their local communities rather than the mainstream white society. This is a retrospective biography. All entries are on deceased persons. The cut off year for inclusion was 1970.
Length of Entry:
The entries vary in length from short to quite long. The people’s private and public lives are chronicled.
Ease of use:
This resource is very easy to use. The entries are alphabetic and it contain no indexes.
Pictures:
There are no pictures included.
Bibliographies:
Bibliographies are included at the end of each article.
Currency:
Since the entries only include prominent African Americans since 1970, it is obviously very out of date. However, it is still useful for research for periods prior to 1970.
New York Times Biographical Service
Citation
New York Times Biographical Service. New York: UMI, 1970- .
Authority
The New York Times
Scope
Contains reproductions of major biographical articles (both obituary and news-oriented) which have appeared in the New York Times.
Entries
Entries are arranged alphabetically by last name You can use the index in the latest edition to locate an individual
Pictures
Most entries include a photo
Bibliographies
None
Currency
2001
Who Was Who | NF
Citation
Who was who: 1897-1995. (1929-1996). London: A & C Black.
Purpose
This directory compiles biographies of individuals previoiusly listed in Who's Who who where removed during the decades listed due to their death. This is an important companion guide to the Who's Who.
Authority
A & C Black has been the authoritative publisher of Who’s Who for over 160 years.
Scope
Contains biographies of individuals listed in Who's Who, and who died and were removed for specified decades.
Format
Arrangement
Entries are arranged alphabetically by surname.
Entries
Entries are as they last appeared in the Who’s Who directory, updated for date of death and any other information that has changed since the previous Who’s Who publication. Information is listed across 20 biographical categories.
Special Features
Contains abbreviation listing. Supplemental Index available containing individuals appearing in Who Was Who volumes published from 1897 – 1980.
Uses
Used to keep the current edition of Who's Who up-to-date.
Overall Evaluation
This is an essential reference tool for libraries that include Who's Who in their collections.
Who Was Who in America | NF
Citation
Who was who in America: 1897-1998. (1942-2000). New Providence, N.J.: Marquis.
Purpose
This directory is a companion guide to Who’s Who in America, providing biographies of individuals who were removed from the Who’s Who in America reference resource due to death.
Authority
Published by Marquis, respected publisher of reference tools.
Scope
This directory contains the biographies of individuals who died and were removed from Who’s Who from the years 1887 – 1998.
Format
Arrangement
This arrangement is the same as in Who’s Who; alphabetically by surname.
Entries
The entries are identical to the last entry in the Who’s Who directory, updated for date of death and any other additions or changes noted since the previous Who’s Who was published. Entries list the following, if applicable: name, occupation, vital statistics, parents, marriage, children, education, professional certifications, career, career-related, writings and creative works, civic and political activities, military service, awards and fellowships, professional and association memberships, clubs and lodges, political affiliation, religion, home address, office address.
Uses
Can be used to determine year of death for individuals listed in Who’s Who in America.
Overall Evaluation
This companion volume to Who’s Who should be included in any collection that contains it. It is a valuable tool for anyone needing current biographical information on notable individuals in America.
Marquis Who's Who | NF
Citation
Marquis who’s who. (2005). New Providence, NJ: Marquis’ Who's who.
Purpose
This directory provides the reader biographical profiles of individuals who have contributed to their field of endeavor and who are considered notable and influential.
Authority
Published by Marquis, respected publisher of reference tools.
Scope
Over 100,000 entries on notable men and women who have made significant contributions in the fields of business, politics, healthcare, science and entertainment and arts to name but a few.
Format
Published annually in two-volumes hardcover. This reference tool is also availabe online at http://marquiswhoswho.com/.
Arrangement
The arrange in this directory is alphabetical with the following indexes; geographic, names by city and state, a professional index which list individuals by name according to categories, and then by city and state.
Entries
All entries follow the same format; first the individual's person’s first and last name are capitalized and in bold typeface, followed by occupation, date and place of birth, family background, education, career, career related endeavors, awards, hobbies and special interests, family information and contact information.
Special Features
Portions of this and other Marquis’ works are also available for free on the web at http://www.marquiswhoswho.com/.
Uses
This directory will be useful in identifying biographical information including professional accomplishments of noteworthy Americans. Executives, journalists, educators, students, libraries, and researchers of all kinds will consult this reference tool for in-depth, accurate information.
Overall Evaluation
This is an important reference directory for public and academic libraries.
Who's Who | NF
Citation
Who's who 2008. (2007). London: A. & C. Black.
Purpose
This directory is an authoritative source for information on persons recognized as influential and foremost in their field of study.
Authority
First published by A & C Black in 1847, and then expanded in 1897 to include biographies of notable persons. A & C Black has been the authoritative publisher of Who’s Who for over 160 years.
Scope
This 2008 edition contains over 32,000 biographies, 1,000 of which are included for the first time. Included are notable individuals from all avenues of life including the arts, business and finance, the church, civil service, education, entertainment, sports, government, law, media, medicine, professional institutions, science, and the trade unions.
Format
Print and online subscription version.
Arrangement
Entries are arranged by surname in alphabetical order.
Entries
All entries follow a standard format that contains: full name, present post, date of birth, family information, education, career (in date order), publications, recreations, and address.
Special Features
In addition to an historical note and list of abbreviations, this edition also contains obituaries of deaths from mid-September 2006 to mid-September 2007. There is a separate entry for the Royal Family.
Uses
As with any directory of notable persons, the Who’s Who can be used to indentify biographical information on notable individuals who are still living.
Overall Evaluation
This is an important reference directory for public and academic libraries.
Who's Who in America | NF
Citation
Marquis Who's Who in America. (2009). In Marquis Who's Who in America. New
Providence, NJ: Marquis Who's Who LLC. Retrieved April 11, 2009, from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/8811054/.
Purpose
Provides biographies of notable Americans and a select group of international individuals who have had impact on America.
Authority
Published by Marquis, respected publisher of reference tools.
Scope
Contains over 110,000 profiles of noteworthy individuals who have contributed to America through their endeavors. This edition has 41,000 new listings and 87,000 updated entries.
Format
This is available in print and online.
Arrangement
2 volume set, names are arranged alphabetically by surname. Contains geographical and professional indexes.
Entries
Entries list information on up to 20 different biographical categories such as: name, occupation, vital statistics, parents, marriage, children, education, professional accomplishments, etc.
Special Features
Contains full color tribute to several “difference markers” whose actions have had a profound impact on America.
Uses
This is an important biographical reference tool for networking, prospecting, fact-checking, and numerous other research purposes.
Overall Evaluation
Excellent resource for both academic and public libraries.
Who's Who in the World | NF
Citation
Credo Reference (Firm). (2007). Who's who in the world, 2008. New Providence,
N.J.: Marquis Who's Who.
Purpose
Provides biographies of notable international figures.
Authority
Published by Marquis, respected publisher of reference tools.
Scope
This edition features more than 74,000 profiles of internationally prominent persons from a wide range of backgrounds, 40,000 of which were new in this edition. Profiles include over 200 nations’ most noteworthy individuals who have made significant contributions to their chosen fields, society and the world. There are entries on political, business, and religious leaders, scientists, Nobel Prize winners, as well as royalty.
Format
Print.
Arrangement
The entries are arranged alphabetically by surname in a single volume.
Entries
Entries list the following available information in this order: name, occupation, vital statistics, parents, marriage, children, education, additional certifications, employment history, public and military service, professional awards, artistic endeavors, writings and creative works, civic and political activities, military service, awards and fellowships, professional and association memberships, avocations, home address, office address, email address
Special Features
In the preliminary pages there is a key to information, a table of abbreviations, Contains Professional Index with individuals arranged alphabetically by profession.
Uses
Can be used by researchers, historians, students, and others to assist with identification of noteworthy individuals.
Overall Evaluation
This directory is a general people directory that belongs in academic as well as public libraries.
Who's Who of American Women | NF
Citation
Marquis Who's Who. (2008). Who's Who of American Women 2008-2009. Marquis
Whos Who.
Purpose
This edition provides biographical information on American women based on noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and importance in their given field.
Authority
Published by Marquis, respected publisher of reference tools.
Scope
Contains biographies of more than 40,000 American women.
Format
Print and online subscription version available.
Arrangement
Single volume arranged alphabetically by surname.
Entries
Entries list the following, if applicable: name, occupation, vital statistics, parents, marriage, children, education, professional certifications, career, career-related, writings and creative works, civic and political activities, military service, awards and fellowships, professional and association memberships, political affiliation, religion, home address, office address.
Special Features
This edition contains a Table of Abbreviations as well as a Then and Now, 1958 – 2008 section, which highlights extraordinary women from 1958 and their 2008 contemporaries.
Uses
This directory will be useful in identifying biographical information including professional accomplishments of noteworthy American women.
Overall Evaluation
This directory is a valuable reference tool for most academic and public libraries.