Tessa Brawley
Allison Kowalski
IST 605 M001
October 21, 2010
Class #8
Specific Topics
 Definition of biographical sources
 Types of biographical sources
 How biographical sources are used
 Who uses biographical sources
 What information to gather in reference interview
 Evaluating biographical sources
Instructional Goals
 Students understand the importance of biographical sources
 Students understand how to use biographical sources
 Students are introduced to different types of biographical sources
Lesson Content
 Power Point
 Interactive Demonstration: American National Biography, www.anb.org
 Group activity with biographical resource databases
Instructional Procedure
 Students will be instructed with a mixture of lecture and hands-on demonstration
 Students will participate in discussion
 Readings will be incorporated during lecture and demonstration
 Take-away and assessment
Assignments
 By the beginning of class, students will have read Chapter 11 in Reference and
Information Services in the 21st Century
 Students will participate in an activity evaluating a biographical resource database
References/Readings:
 Cassell & Hiremath, Chapter 11 (Answering Questions About The Lives Of
People- Biographical Information Sources)
 Biographical sources used in the demonstration:
o American National Biography
 http://www.anb.org
Additional Resources:
Indexes
 Biography and Genealogy Master Index
 Biography Index
Biographies of Contemporary People
 Who’s Who in America
 Who’s Who in the East
 Who’s Who in the West
 Who’s Who in the Midwest
 Who’s Who in American Education
 Who’s Who in Politics
 Who’s Who on the Web
 Canadian’s Who’s Who
 World Who’s Who
 Current Biography
 Current Biography International Yearbook
 Current Biography Illustrated
 The People Behind Today’s Headlines
 Biography Resource Center
 Biography Resource Bank
 Biography Dictionary
Retrospective Biography
 American National Biography
 Dictionary of American Biography
 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
 Dictionary o National Biography
 Dictionary of Canadian Biography
 World Biographical Information System
 Who Was Who in America
 The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives
One-Volume Biographical Dictionaries
 Chambers Biographical Dictionary
 The Cambridge Biographical Dictionary
 Merriman-Webster’s Biographical Dictionary
Obituaries
 The New York Times Obituaries Index, 1885-1968
 The New York Times Obituaries Index, 1969-1978
 Newsbank
 America’s Obituaries and Death Notices
 Obituaries.com
Subject-Based Biographical Tools
 Contemporary Authors
 Literature Resource Center
 Contemporary Literary Criticism Select
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Guide to Historical Literature
Biographical Dictionary of the United States Congress, 1774 to present
Major Modern and Contemporary Visual Artists
Internet Movie Database
New Dictionary of Scientific Biography
Eric Weisstein’s World of Biography
Biographical Resources Featuring Ethnic/Cultural Heritage
 Who’s Who Among African-Americans
 The African American National Biography
 Oxford African American Studies Center