Biographies: Finding Information about a person
Reference Books
Some General encyclopedias
In Chemeketa's library, encyclopedias are shelved in the 031’s in the reference area. Older editions are available to checkout in the 031 circulating section.
- Encyclopedia Americana [R 031 En12]
- Encyclopedia Britannica [R 031 En1]
- World Book Encyclopedia [R 031 W89]
Biographical Dictionaries
At Chemeketa, general biographical dictionaries are found in Reference in the 920s. Most libraries will have at least some of these reference books:
Americans
- American national biography [R 920.073 Am33]
- Dictionary of American Biography [R920.073 D56] (covers only dead persons)
- Great Lives from History: American Series [R 920.073 G79]
- Notable American Women [R 920.720973 N84]
- Notable Asian Americans [R 920.009295073 N84]
- Notable Black American Men [R 920.7108996]
- Notable Black American Women [R 920.7208996073]
- Notable Latino Americans [R 920.009268 M47]
- Notable twentieth-century Latin American women [R 920.72098 N84]
- Notable Native Americans [R 920.00297 N84]
- Who's Who in America [R920.073 W62]
- Women in world history : a biographical encyclopedia [R 920.7203 W84]
International
- Current Biography [R920 C93]
Covers persons who are living at the time of publication. It comes out yearly. An index volume covers the period 1940-1995.
- Great Lives from History: Ancient and Medieval Series [R 920.009 G793]
- Great Lives from History: Renaissance to 1900 Series [R 920.009 G79]
- Great Lives from History: Twentieth Century Series [R 920.009 G792]
- Dictionary of National Biography [R920.042 D56]
Covers dead British persons
- Encyclopedia of World Biography [R 920 M17]
- Who’s Who in the World [R920.02 W62]
Electronic Reference Databases
Some of the library's electronic databases include biographical material. When you use these, remember to put the person's last name first, e.g.,
Gandhi, Indira
Jordan, Michael
If that does not work, then try forward order:
Indira Gandhi
Michael Jordan
- Gale Virtual Reference Library
- Has a large biographical dictionary of women, and some biographical entries in other books.
- Literature Resource Center
- For biographies of writers, dead and living.
- Oxford Reference Online Premium Collection
- You can search in hundreds of reference books at once.
Finding Books
Use the subject search in the library catalog. Type the last name, comma, then the first name.
Finding Articles
From the library's database page, use EBSCOhost Academic Search Premier. Click the Indexes link under More in the EBSCOhost banner, choose "People" from the pulldown menu marked "Browse an index", and enter the persons's name, last name first.
For further help, ask for assistance at the Reference Desk, or use the contact information below to call or e-mail us.
Updated by Reference.
Comments: reference@chemeketa.edu
or call (503)399-5231.
Address of this page:
HTTP://newterra.chemeketa.edu/library/instruction/biography.htm