Biography Reference Sources
Check to see if the person you are writing about is already listed in a biographical dictionary or directory. If you find a work cited in one of these sources that we do not own, see this box for information on using interlibrary loan to get the chapter, entry, etc, that you need.
- American National BiographyBiographies of individuals from all eras who have influenced and shaped American history and culture. Earlier version (print only), including some entries not in the ANB, is Dictionary of American Biography, below. The library has licensed this database for 1 simultaneous user, so please close the tab or browser when finished searching.
- Biography and Genealogy Master Index (BGMI)Very useful index of references to biographical sources. This source is not full text, but it helps you find out if an individual has been written about in another biographical source, and is worth learning to use.
--While using this source, you may want to have the Local Catalog, open in a separate tab to check to see if the library owns the source mentioned as containing a biographical entry. - Biography Reference BankA Metropolitan Library (OKC public) database. Sign up for a library card if you don't have one. Provides access to biographies, images, articles, abstracts, and interviews of more than half a million people.
- Dictionary of American BiographyCall Number: E 176 .D563 (ref collection: Bizzell main floor southeast)Biographies of more than 19,000 American men and women from over 700 fields who died through 1980. Newer version is American National Biography, above, although not all entries from the earlier edition are included in the ANB.
- Notable American Women, 1607-1950Link to volume 1 (A-F), 2 (G-O), or 3 (P-Z).
Covers the lives of exceptional women throughout three and a half centuries of American history. - Notable American Women: A Biographical Dictionary Completing the Twentieth CenturyEntries on almost five hundred women who died between 1976 and 1999.
- Notable American Women: The Modern PeriodCompanion to Notable American Women, 1607-1950. Entries on 442 women.
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (DNB)Biographies of people who shaped the history of the British Isles. The library has licensed this database for 1 simultaneous user, so please close the tab or browser when finished searching.
- Who's Who (Marquis)Biographies of global leaders from every significant field of endeavor. Includes Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in American History, Who's Who in American Art, Who's Who in American Politics. The library has licensed this database for 1 simultaneous user. Please logoff when you are finished searching.
Subject Encyclopedias
Subject encyclopedias can give you background information on time periods in U.S. history. The person you are researching may also be listed in the encyclopedia.
- Dictionary of American HistoryMore than 4,000 entries on all aspects of American history.
- Encyclopedia of African American HistorySignificant people, events, sociopolitical movements, and ideas that have shaped African American life from earliest contact between African peoples and Europeans through the late 20th century.
- Encyclopedia of American Indian HistoryApproximately 450 entries spanning the breadth of Native American history.
- Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and CultureFrom the Oklahoma Historical Society.
- Gale Ebooks (was Gale Virtual Reference Library)Access encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research. Search multiple resources at one time.