UCF Research Guides: Biographical Information: Books and Multimedia

UCF Library Catalog

To locate book-length biographies and multimedia (videocassettes, DVDs) in the UCF Libraries, use the UCF Library Catalog to locate books, multimedia, journal titles. and other materials in the UCF Libraries. Here are some tips on searching the catalog:

Author or Subject Heading Searching: Search by last name, first name (or first and middle initial):

Franklin, Benjamin
Holiday, Billie
Snow, C P

Title Searching: While the entire title does not need to be typed in the search box, the title must nonetheless be in eaxct word order:

The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon = Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political
The Life and Work of Eleanor Roosevelt = Life and Work of Eleanor Roosevelt

Anywhere or Keyword Searching: This type of search can be useful for locating biographies by occupation, time period, geographical area, etc., adding the word "Biography" to the search:

Physicists Biography
Florida Biography
English literature Biography

Format Limit: To find multimedia (e.g., CDs, DVDs, videocassettes, etc.), go to the Advanced Search screen. Under "Limit your search further by:" is a drop-down menu for format:

Other Catalogs of Interest

Center for Research Libraries (CRL)

Search the Center for Research Libraries' vast collections of books, newspapers, microforms, journals, foreign dissertations, and other materials and request items via Document Delivery & Resource Sharing.

Library Thing

Enter what you're reading or your whole library — it's an easy, library-quality catalog. Library Thing also connects you with people who read the same things.

WorldCat

The merged catalogs of libraries around the world, making it the world’s largest and richest database of bibliographic information. You can request items not owned by UCF via Document Delivery & Resource Sharing.

Biography Call Numbers

Most materials in the UCF Libraries are arranged according to the Library of Congress Classification System. While some biographies may be located in the CT call number range, the vast majority of biographies are spread throughout the collection and classified by a wide range of call numbers. For instance, biographies about physicists generally will be found in the QC range for physics; biographies of American fiction writers usually will be in the PR range for American literature; biographies of American politicians and diplomats usually will be located in the E range for history of the Americas. For this reason, it is important to write down or save the call numbers, as derived from the UCF Library Catalog, for biographies you are seeking.

Google Book Search

Google Book Search can be a useful tool for discovering books. However, keep these suggestions in mind for making the most of your Google book searching:

> Use the advanced search screen so you can do more targeted searches. For example, do a subject search rather than a keyword search if you are looking for books on a particular particular topic or period.

> Use the "Find it in a library" link to see if the book you want is available in the UCF Libraries.

> Not everything is in Google Book Search, so use Google in addition to library catalogs and databases, not instead of them.

Document Delivery & Resource Sharing

UCF Libraries' Document Delivery & Resource Sharing (formerly Interlibrary Loan) processes requests for books, articles, musical scores, DVD’s, and other materials from other libraries throughout the country that we may not own or have access to here at UCF.

Library Express Delivery is a delivery service of physical materials for UCF Faculty and Staff on the main campus and Distance Learners. Sign-up for a free account. Please give us until the next business day to process your registration before placing a LED request. Choose the Distance Learner/Office Delivery option as your pick up location each time you place a request. Please see our Document Delivery & Resource Sharing page for more information.  

Follow the easy steps at the link above to set up an account for this valuable service. You may find it helpful to view the video below. And, as always, if you have any questions, feel welcome to ask a UCF librarian for assistance.