Research Guides: English Literature Research Guide: Biography

Databases and Online Resources

American National Biography This link opens in a new window
Source of biographical information of people from different eras who have influenced and shaped American history and culture.
American Slavery A Composite Autobiography This link opens in a new window
Life histories of former American slaves and transcripts of actual slave interviews conducted from 1936 to 1938.
Biography & Genealogy Master Index This link opens in a new window
Indexes reference sources and important retrospective works on individuals, both living and deceased, from different fields and regions of the world.
Black Studies Center This link opens in a new window
Contains material for black studies including essays, periodicals, reference books, the Schomburg Studies, and more.
Black Studies Center seamlessly integrates the Schomburg Studies on the Black Experience, Black Studies Periodicals Database (formerly IIBP), and full-text access to historical back-files of Chicago Defender from 1935-1975, a prominent black newspaper. The Schomburg Studies on the Black Experience consists of commissioned essays by scholars in the field and a collection of primary resources that includes photographs and video clips.
Dictionary of Irish Biography This link opens in a new window
Contains a large collection of biographical articles on subject in a wide variety of fields, including politics, law, literature, arts, and more.
Dictionary of Literary Biography Complete Online This link opens in a new window
Access biographical and critical essays on the lives, works and careers of the influential literary figures.
Dictionary of Literary Biography Dictionary of Literary Biography Documentary Series Dictionary of Literary Biography Yearbook This database is also cross-searchable with the Gale Literature Criticism Online database.
Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new window
Provides biographies, bibliographies, and critical analyses of authors from every age and literary discipline. Covers novelists, essayists, poets, journalists, and more.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography This link opens in a new window
Access articles on noteworthy people who have shaped British history and culture, worldwide, from the Romans to the 21st century.

Print Resources

Dictionary of Literary Biography (1978 – present)
Reference Collection, Level 2
Robert W. Woodruff (Main) Library
Classified with subject of each volume. Long articles prepared by scholars. Each volume is cataloged separately. You may locate all the volumes in the set by looking up the series title in Library Search.