Indexes and Guides to Biographical Sources

The following is a selective list of biographical sources at the Research Libraries; 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 under *R-RMRR CT104 .B56). 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 Index (New York: H. W. Wilson Co., 1946-). *R-RMRR CT104 .B5 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, autobiographies, 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 from 1984-present; the print index covers 1946 through 1984.

Cambridge Biographical Encyclopedia, edited by David Crystal, 2^nd ed. (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998) *R-RMRR CT103 .C26

Falk, Byron. Personal Name Index to "The New York Times Index" (Succasunna, N. J.: Roxbury Data Interface, 1976- ) Available in the Microforms Section, Room 100, and in the U.S. History, Local History, and Genealogy Division, Room 121. 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 2001.

Hyamson, Albert M. A Dictionary of Universal Biography of All Ages and All Peoples, 2nd edition (New York: Dutton, 1966) *R-RMRR CT103 .H99. 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.

Ireland, Norma. Index to Women of the World from Ancient to Modern Times: Biographies and Portraits (Westwood, Mass.: Faxon, 1970) *R-RMRR CT3202 .I7. This work provides references to biographical sketches of women which appear in biographical dictionaries, collective biographies, and individual biographies.

It is supplemented by the same author’s Index to Women of the World from Ancient to Modern Times: A Supplement (Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1988) *R-RMRR HQ1123 .I73.

Phillips, Lawrence B. The Dictionary of Biographical Reference (Graz: Akademische Druck-u. Verlagsanstalt, 1966, reprint of 1889 edition) JFE 99-4925. 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 (London: The Library Association, 1934) JFF 82-247. 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), 2 vols. *R-RMRR CT104 .S55. 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.