LibGuides: Biography: Library Databases

Biography Reference Books

Great Lives from History
Salem Press includes several volumes covering different time periods.

Great Lives from History: The Ancient World, Prehistory-476 C. E
One example from Salem Press.

Search for a name in the entire Credo Reference database, or browse books in the Biography category.

Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
Online reference library that provides access to a growing selection of reference books.
Online reference library that provides access to a growing selection of reference books. Includes encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, books of quotations, and a range of subject-specific titles from art to accountancy and literature to law. Credo Reference generates a network of cross-references that provide an easy-to-follow trail to related information contained anywhere within the library.

Credo Reference Subject Guides

Credo Reference: Biography books

Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
Includes the Encyclopedia of World Biography
Gale eBooks is a database of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.

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Reference eBooks & Databases
Encyclopedias and other reference sources available as STLCC Library Databases.

Salem Press This link opens in a new window
Includes the Great Lives from History series.
Salem Press titles in literature, history, science, and health. Includes Magill's Literary Annual 1977-current, Masterplots, Magill's Medical Guide, the Great Events and Great Lives from History reference series, and several science encyclopedias.

PDF Guide

Indexes to Biography Resources

Biography and Genealogy Master Index This link opens in a new window
Indexes over 15 million biographies on nearly 5 million people.
Biography and Genealogy Master Index enables users to locate biographical entries contained in more than 1,000 volumes and editions of important current and retrospective biographical reference sources. This index contains citations that point to over 15 million biographies on nearly 5 million people, living and deceased, from all time periods, geographical locations, and fields of endeavor.

This database is an index with citations; it does not include full-text articles. Instead, it can be used to identify biographical reference books which include information about specific people. Make sure you check for multiple listings since different forms of the same name are listed separately. For example, one book may include "sir" or "jr" as part of the name, another might include birth and/or death dates; each of these will be listed separately.