The sources listed below contain either directory information (basic facts, such as birthdate, deathdate, educational background, career, etc.) or article/essay descriptions of the individual. Sources that are retrospective (only deceased individuals are included) are noted in the annotation.
http://www.biography.com
A magazine and TV channel site for the A&E cable show, "Biography," with celebrity features and clips of upcoming shows. The search engine Search contains over "25,000 of the greatest lives, past and present." Entries usually are rather brief.
http://www.s9.com/biography/index.html
Covers more than 28,000 notable men and women who have shaped our world from ancient times to the present day. The dictionary can be searched by birth years, death years, positions held, professions, literary and artistic works, achievements, and other keywords. The information in the entries typically is very brief.
Contains biographical information on over 525,000 individuals from all time periods, geographical locations, and fields of endeavor. The adavnced search options allows searching by document type and content types (e.g., academic journals, reference, images).
Contains the original profiles in Current Biography (see below) as well as coverage of the H.W. Wilson Co.'s World Author series. Also contains citations from Biography Index. In all, this database provides coverage of over 600,000 individuals and includes approximately 35,000 images.
Cambridge Biographical Encyclopedia
Main Library Reference CT 103 .C26 1994
Contains over 15,000 short biographies, of both historical and contemporary personages, as well as appendix material on political leaders, award winners, religious leaders.
International and historical coverage of all areas of human achievement including the arts, science, technology, sport, politics, philosophy, and business. Includes detailed panel entries on particularly important or influential people such as Albert Einstein, the Brontë sisters, and Nelson Mandela.
Current Biography
Main Library Reference CT 100 .C8 (1940+)
A yearbook containing 250 to 350 biographical articles on internationally prominent people in the fields of popular culture, sports, science and technology, national and international affairs, business, and the visual and performing arts. All entries have a portrait of the individual profiled and a list of sources. The full text of all profiles may be found in the database
Biography Reference Bank (above).
Dictionary of International Biography
Main Library General Collection CT 101 .D5 (1963-73, 1976)
Each volume contains approximately 5,000 entries for men and women in all professions and fields of interest on a worldwide scale.
HarperCollins Dictionary of Biography
Main Library General Collection CT 103 .H36 1993
Identifies more than eight thousand philosophers, soldiers, musicians, artist scientists, rulers, inventors, politicians, entertainers, athletes, and religious leaders.
International Who's Who
Main Library General Collection CT 120 .I5 (1968/69-2008)
Biographies on famous and influential men and women worldwide. Separate section lists reigning royal families, and a list of obituaries updates entries for those who died after the text was printed.
McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Biography: An International Reference Book
Main Library Reference CT 103 .M27
A 12-volume set containing brief essays, many with pictures and all with references to other sources of information, on individuals from throughout the world and human history.
Provides brief biographical sketches of over 2,100 women from all periods, cultures, and walks of life.
Webster's New Biographical Dictionary
Main Library General Collection CT 103 .W4 1988
A pronouncing dictionary with brief factual entries on about 30,000 individuals. Does not include living persons.
Who's Who in the World
Main Library General Collection CT 120 .W5
Contains approximately 30,000 brief biographical entries on persons worldwide. The entries in the latest edition are available in the database