This guide shows you how to find authoritative and reliable biographical information in the library about famous and notable people. If you need assistance, please feel free to ask a Library staff member or e-mail a Reference Librarian at ask@pamunkeylibrary.org.
1.What key words will help me find information about biographies?
To find books that can be checked out, choose the SUBJECT search in the online catalog, and type (one at a time) these subjects:
Use the last or full name of the person (ex. Lincoln)
The occupation of a group of people (ex. Composers)
You may find that if you use the occupation of a person or group of persons or a person’s last name that you will see results in fiction, as well as non-fiction and biographies.
You may also want to browse subjects: when in the catalog, choose BROWSE and type in “Biography”. This will allow you to browse narrower subjects related to biographical information.
2.Where can I find print resources on the biographies in the library?
Most of the books will be shelved according to their Dewey Decimal Classification number in the non-fiction shelves at:
B (ex. B Lin)
Biography
920-928
Collected Biographies
929
Genealogy
Keep in mind that Juvenile non-fiction is not separated from Adult non-fiction if you have a particular age or reading level need.
When you are doing research, make sure that you search in the reference area, too. These books cannot be checked out, but there is a lot of valuable information available to photocopy or use in notes. Some reference books you might consider include the following:
Available at Ashland, Atlee, Goochland, King & Queen, Mechanicsville, Montpelier, Rockville, Upper King William, and West Point. Note: Not all years will be available at each branch.
Available at Atlee, Goochland, Hanover, and Mechanicsville.
R 920.0755 DIC
(3 vols.)
Dictionary of Virginia biography
Available at Ashland, Atlee, Goochland, and Mechanicsville. Vol. 1 available at Hanover, King & Queen, Montpelier, Rockville, Upper King William, and West Point.
Your library may not have all these reference books available, but there will be books, magazines, and newspapers that you can check out — when in doubt, just ask a Library staff member or e-mail ask@pamunkeylibrary.org.
3.What are some good internet sites about biographies?
There are a variety of excellent resources on this topic available on the Internet, including online databases that the library subscribes to and free or educational web sites.
Databases
The library subscribes to a number of online databases that have reliable biographical information in a variety of subjects, including the following:
Rulers Contains lists of heads of state and heads of government of all countries and territories, from 1700 to the present, in most cases. Also included are the subdivisions of various countries, as well as a selection of international organizations.
Women in World History This unique site is full of information and resources to help teachers, students, parents, history buffs, and the interested public learn about women’s history in a global context.
De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and Their Families The encyclopedia consists of an index of the emperors who ruled during the empire's 1500 years, biographical essays, family trees, an index of significant battles in the empire's history, capsule descriptions and maps of these battles, and maps of the empire at different times. These contents are supplemented by an ancient and medieval atlas, a link to a virtual catalog of Roman coins, and other recommended links to related sites. The contents of DIR have been prepared by scholars and have been peer-reviewed for quality and accuracy before publication.
Nobelprize.org Find out about the writers, scientists, and others who have won Nobel Prizes since the Award’s inception in 1901 and their work.
Classical Composers Database Find biographies, compositions, news, concerts, classical sheet music and recordings, books about composers and classical music, and loads of other information about composers and their music
The Internet African American History Challenge This site is an interactive quiz that helps you sharpen your knowledge of African American History. It's an "open book" test. If you're not sure of an answer, you can check their reference material for help.
OmniBiography.com Search over 110,000 online biographies by name or country or browse alphabetically.
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