Biographical Reference SourcesLIBR 210-11July 11, 2009

By: Jennifer BartonEvelyn BruneauChristina Certo

Biographies-What will be covered

• What are biographies- Evelyn Bruneau• Types of biographies-Evelyn Bruneau• Where to find biographical information-Evelyn

Bruneau• What are biographies used for-Evelyn Bruneau• Evaluation of biographical sources-Jennifer Barton• Spotlight on selective biographical sources-Evelyn

Bruneau, Jennifer Barton, Christina Certo• Conclusion-Jennifer Barton

What are Biographies?

• Nonfictional literature• Written account of an individual’s life living

and deceased• Focus on:– Individual– Country– Historical period– Specialized group• Eg. Artists or engineers

Types of Biographical Sources• Direct

– Basic information (directories)– Lengthy biographical essays (dictionaries)

• Ex. Who’s Who

• Indirect – Biography and Genealogy Master Index– Bibliographic citations

• Ex. Biography index

• Current– Living persons

• Ex. Current Biography, Contemporary Authors

• Retrospective– Deceased persons

• Ex. American National Biography, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

Where to find Biographical Information (print, electronic, online)

• Biographical dictionaries– Ex. Current Biography, Contemporary Authors

• Biographical directories– Ex. Who’s who, American Men and Women of Science

• Encyclopaedias• Yearbooks• Obituaries• Internet– Ex. Biography.com. Who2, Internet Movie Database

What are Biographies used for?

• Students-assignments• Introductions-functions• Eulogies• Book clubs (Contemporary Authors)• Newspapers-to check credentials• Librarians-to check authority of authors’ names• Research organizations-to identify experts in

certain fields

Scope

• Who is included in this work?• What are the criteria for inclusion?• Individuals with reference interest

Comprehensiveness

• Scope and comprehensiveness usually spelled out in the book’s preface

• Scope and criteria must be in harmony• Look for even coverage within these areas—

are a large number of eligible persons missing? If so, lacking in comprehensiveness

Accuracy

• Utmost importance• Primary source (biographees)• Secondary source (writers about the subject)• Conflicting facts about a subject—– Can look at each source’s reputation – Can check more sources to try to determine the

truth

Currency

• How up-to-date is the source?• Constantly needing to update individual’s

information in highly mobile society• Electronic sources can be as out-of-date as

print sources

References

• References for further reading• Can be very valuable research material• Researchers should look at several sources to

get a comprehensive look at the available material

Format

• Presentation• Organization• Access points (electronic sources have an advantage

over print sources here—time saver)– Background– Occupation– Same honor or award– Biography and Genealogy Master Index (BGMI)

• Interpretation of information

Evaluating Biographical Sources

• Scope• Comprehensiveness• Accuracy• Currency• References

Where to begin?

• Correct spelling of person’s name• Time period in which the person was active• Identifying features • How much information do you need?• What is the person’s nationality?

Living or Dead?

Where to begin?

• Is the person living or dead?

Current Biographical Sources

Who’s Who in America

• Biographical directory• Brief biographical information• Published biennially up to 1994 and annually

afterwards• Entries are in alphabetical order

Current Biography

• This is an annual dictionary• Contains lengthy articles• American focus• Updated monthly• Organized alphabetically• Updated monthly• Entries limited to 350 per year

Current Biography

Specialized Biographical Sources

• Contemporary authors• American men and women of science• Who’s who in Canada• Who’s who in Engineering

Contemporary Authors

• Contains information on authors from all genres

• Includes modern novelists, poets, playwrights, nonfiction writers, journalists and scriptwriters

• 20th and 21st Century

American Men and Women of Science

• Special biographical directory of scientists• Information more specific than a general

source• Sorted alphabetically by last name• Has discipline index

American Men and Women of ScienceRef Q 141

Retrospective Biographical Sources

• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography• American National Biography

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

• Who is included: people who shaped the history of the British Isles and beyond, from Roman times to the present

• 56,949 biographies,10,500 illustrations• Published in print and online in 2004• Extended with 3 annual updates (each

January, May and October)

American National Biography

• Online edition has over 17,400 portraits of men and women “from all eras and walks of life—whose lives have shaped the nation.”

• Updated semi-annually• Features thousands of illustrations, cross-linked

references, links to websites and search capabilities• Has Biography of the Day feature and Special

Collections

Online SourcesFor

Biographical Information

Biography.com Homepage

Videos• Full Episodes• Special Features• People Videos• Shows

TV• A list of all shows that air on the Biography cable channel.

People• Most Searched• In the News• Famous Icons• Notorious

Bio’s Best• Most popular• Just for Fun• History and Culture• Animalographies

Games• Most Popular• Best for Procrastinating• Quizzes

Born on this Day• Born on this Day• Died on this Day• Born on this Day widget

Photo Galleries• People• Celebrity Fun• Gone Too Soon• Classic Hollywood

Discuss• TV Discussions• Famous People

Shop• Popular DVD Topics• Special Promotions

More on the Biography.com Home Page…

Site Map FAQ Contact Us

Newsletters How to Cite This Site

Employment Opportunities

Shop BIOGRAPHY

Corporate Information

Terms of Service

Privacy Statement

TV Parental Guidelines

Advertise With Us

Important Information Lost?

What can we learn from Biography.com?

While geared more toward selling its shows and videos, Biography.com is a reliable source for information on past and present celebrity figures. It is a member of the A&E television network, which states as its mission, “Everyday we grab people everywhere with our entertaining to take on life.” I’ve bolded what I feel is the most important word in that sentence. While I’d navigate to Biography.com to find a quick fact on someone, it’s main purpose is most assuredly to entertain its visitors.

Batman BiographyCartoon CharacterThe superhero Batman was the brainchild of cartoonist Bob Kane. The character first appeared in Detective Comics in 1939, and was such a hit that Batman comics remained in print in one form or another into the 21st century. Batman is the "caped crusader," the crimefighting alter-ego of millionaire Bruce Wayne. Wayne inherited a fortune as a boy after his parents were killed by robbers; when Wayne grew up he dedicated himself to fighting crime and chose the guise of a bat in order to strike fear into the hearts of criminals. (Unlike Superman and Spider-Man, Batman is a human with no supernatural powers.) Batman lives in Gotham City and operates out of his secret crime laboratory, the Bat Cave. He battles exotic supervillains including the Joker, Two-Face, Catwoman and the Penguin, and is often aided by a sidekick, Robin the Boy Wonder. Over the years Batman has appeared in many media and with various levels of seriousness. The 1960s live-action TV series was played for laughs, with a deadpan Adam West as Batman and nutty celebrity villains including Zsa Zsa Gabor as Minerva and Roddy McDowall as the Bookworm. (The series also featured Yvonne Craig as Batgirl.) Two decades later Batman was reinvigorated by the 1986 publication of Frank Miller's gloomy, acerbic graphic novel The Dark Knight Returns. Miller's work inspired a darkly popular Batman feature film, directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as the caped crusader and Jack Nicholson as the Joker. (Val Kilmer and George Clooney played Batman in sequels.) Batman: The Animated Series began a long run on TV in 1992, with Kevin Conroy as Batman and well-known voices like Mark Hamill as the Joker and Adrienne Barbeau as Catwoman. The film series was revived in 2005 with Batman Begins, starring Christian Bale as Batman and Michael Caine as his faithful butler, Alfred. Another sequel, The Dark Knight, again starring Bale and with the late Heath Ledger as the Joker, was released in July 2008. Extra credit: Batman's first home, Detective Comics, later became better known as D.C. Comics.

King Library Website

SJSU Articles and Databases

TabA-Z List of Titles

Biographical dictionaries and who’s whos, which supply information on a number of individuals.

Subject encyclopedias, which include some biographical entries.

Volumes of literary criticism, which may contain only a limited amount of biographical information but give critical surveys of a writer's works.

Indexes, which refer the user to a body of information found elsewhere.

A sample search result using the credentials “harris, franco”…

Biography Index. A cumulative index to biographical material in books and magazines. Volume 28: September, 2002-August, 2003. New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 2003. [BioIn 28]

Standard & Poor's Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives. 2008 edition. Volume 2: Directors and Executives. Charlottesville, VA:McGraw-Hill Cos., 2008. [St&PR 2008]

The Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century Athletes. By Mike McGovern. New York: Facts on File, 2001. Use the Index to locate biographies. [EncTwCA] Biography contains portrait.

Who's Who among Black Americans. Eighth edition, 1994/1995. Detroit: Gale Research, 1994. Later editions published as Who's Who among African Americans. [WhoBlA 8]

A Who's Who of Sports Champions. Their stories and records. By Ralph Hickok. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1995. [WhoSpor]

Conclusion

Biographical information is of great interest

Three types of research questions

• Ready-reference• General background• Research

Ready Reference

• Straightforward, factual info• Example: the date Elizabeth I died• Steps: – get all information possible from inquirer– Search a cross-referenced source such as BGMI as

a starting point

General Background

• Curiosity about individual, seeking information about life and accomplishments

• Often modern authors and political leaders• More information needed than ready reference• Steps: good subject or specialized biographical

source relevant to subject– Example: patron interested in Michael Crichton’s life

Research

• Most in-depth type of inquiry• Descriptive, interpretive, as well as primary

and secondary sources• Librarian can also refer inquirer to library’s

catalog, a topical index, and/or specialized biography

• Example: college student needing to write a research paper on Barack Obama

References• Bopp, R. E. & Smith, L.C. (2001). Reference and information services: an introduction. Third Ed. Englewood Colorado: Libraries Unlimited.

• Current biographical sources • Who’s who in America • Current biography•

Retrospective biographical sources • American national biography • Oxford dictionary of national biography

• Focused biographical sources• Contemporary authors• American men and women of science

• Freely Available Online Sources • Biography.com http://www.biography.com • Who2 http://www.who2.com/

Visit our project blog on “Stuck in the Stacks” at: http://stuckinthestacks.blogspot.com

From there, you may navigate the entire presentation, read Evelyn’s Biography Info Guide, or learn more about our team and our LIBR-210 project.