LibGuides: Biography: Background Information

Short Biographies

The resources listed in this section provide access to short biographies: anywhere from a paragraph long to several pages long. They are great starting places. For more comprehensive information, check out our links for Books, and Articles & Videos.

Online Reference Books

These collections consist of reference books such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, and handbooks.

Background Resources

Credo Reference

Articles from encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference sources from all subject areas. Includes images, audio pronunciation files, maps, and data tables.

Gale Ebooks

Collection of encyclopedias, dictionaries and handbooks covering a variety of subject areas.

Oxford Reference Online

Articles from encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other reference sources from all subject areas. Includes quotations, maps, and illustrations.

Web Sites

Academy of Achievement
"...biographies, profiles and interviews are featured....with leaders from the arts, business, public service, science & exploration, and sports...also provides links to podcasts..."
Biography.com
"Useful for current or popular personalities and includes video clips of some individuals. (C &RL News, July 2014)." This isn't a very academic source, but it is easy to use and very popular as a starting place.
POTUS (Presidents of the United States)
C&RL News: "...includes biographies, speeches and writings, election results, presidency highlights, and links to other sites."
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees
Biographies of the inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame from 1986 through the present.
Academy of American Poets
"...biographies of more than 500 poets, in addition to thousands of poems, essays about poems, and more."

Credit for all quoted annotations:

Skarl, Susie. "This is Your Life: a Collection of Online Biographical Resources." College & Research Libraries News, July/August 2014, crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/issue/view/602