Identifies biographical entries in hundreds of reference sources, many available only in print. Especially useful for locating biographical information on obscure individuals, or people not well represented in the major biographical reference works.

1946-1983. Identifies biographical entries, articles, book-length biographies, and interviews, both historical and contemporary.

Identifies articles from over 11,000 local history and genealogical publications. Search by surname, place name, subject, or citation keyword. Indexes publications from 1790 to the present, with the bulk from 1850 to the present. Although PERSI is part of Find My Past, a subscription database, the Index itself is free to use. Once you have a citation, you can locate the article in the University of Illinois Library, the same as you would with any other citation.

Full text collection of over 300,000 biographies, from throughout history, and across the globe.

8.5 million biographical entries, on over 6 million people, from encyclopedic reference works, published from 1559 to the end of the 20th century. The complete contents of K.G. Saur's famous World Biographical Archive series, which include: the African Biographical Archive; the American Biographical Archive Series I through III plus Supplement; the Arab-Islamic Biographical Archive Series I through II; the Archives Biographiques Françaises Series I through III plus Supplement; the Archivio Biografico Italiano Series I through IV; the Archivo Biográfico de España, Portugal e Iberoamérica Series I through IV; the Australasian Biographical Archive Series I plus Supplement; the Baltic Biographical Archive Series I through II; the Biografisch Archief van de Benelux Series I through II; the Biographical Archive of the Classical World; the Biographical Archive of the Middle Ages; the Biographical Archive of the Soviet Union 1917–1991; the British Biographical Archive Series I through III; the Canadian Biographical Archive; the Cesky biograficky archiv a Slovensky biograficky archiv; the Chinese Biographical Archive; the Deutsches Biographisches Archiv Series I through III; the Greek Biographical Archive; the Hungarian Biographical Archive; the Indian Biographical Archive. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka: the Japanese Biographical Archive; the Jewish Biographical Archive Series I through II plus Supplement; the Korean Biographical Archive; the Polskie Archiwum Biograficzne Series I through II plus Supplements; the Russian Biographical Archive Series I plus Supplement; the Scandinavian Biographical Archive Series I through II; the South-East Asian Biographical Archive; the South-East European Biographical Archive; and the Turkish Biographical Archive. Each "biographical archive" is a research-library level collection of biographical encyclopedias and dictionaries.

Biographical entries from 273 reference works originally published between 1781 and 2001. Part of World Biographical Information System.

Online version of the 2 volume original. Brief, signed entries. Not all entries are biographical--some entries treat concepts in Islamic philosophy, and these tend to be longer. Entries include bibliographies of secondary sources/further reading. Bibliographies not annotated.

Online version of the 27 volume original. Based on two classic reference works: Dictionary of Scientific Biography (New York: Scribner's, 1970), and: New Dictionary of Scientific Biography (Detroit: Scribner's, 2008. Signed entries, include bibliographies. Some bibliographies are annotated, and some bibliographies list both secondary and primary sources.

Biographical entries from 87 reference works originally published between 1820 and 1989. Part of World Biographical Information System.

Biographical entries from 56 reference works originally published between the 17th century and 2002. Part of World Biographical Information System.

Signed entries with short bibliographies. Includes chronology, as well as indexes for country and discipline (or area of renown).

Biographical entries from 748 reference works originally published between 1601 and 2002. Part of the World Biographical Archive.

Biographies of men and women, deceased at least five years, who, in the judgment of the editorial board, made important contributions to British history and culture. Includes access to articles from the original, Victorian classic, The Dictionary of National Biography.

Online version of the 2 volume original. Signed entries with short bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated.

Autobiographical (and other) writings by women, and some men, in Britain, from ca. 600 B.C.E. to present.

Volume 11. Previous volumes available in print.

Online version of the 9 volume original.

75,000 biographies, and 15,000 short biographical entries for people mentioned in the longer biographies but not represented by fuller entries. Covers all periods of recorded German history.

Biographical entries from 902 reference works originally published between 1707 and 1999. Part of World Biographical Information System.

Biographical entries from 212 reference works originally published between 1711 and 1994. Part of the World Biographical Information System.

Biographical entries from 456 reference works originally published between 1655 and 2003. Part of World Biographical Information System.

115,000 biographies on over 90,000 people, from 152 reference works originally published between 1559 to 1995. Part of the World Biographical Information System.

Biographical entries from 611 reference works published between 1647 and 1999. Part of World Biographical Information System.

Biographical entries from 879 reference works originally published between 1646 and 2001. Part of World Biographical Information System.

Biographical entries from 1,122 reference works published between 1602 and 2000. Part of the World Biographical Information System.

Biographical entries from 398 reference works originally published between 1817 and 2002. Part of World Biographical Information System.

Biographical entries from 317 reference works originally published between 1772 and 1995. Part of World Biographical Information System.

433 biographical encyclopedias originally published between 1621 and 1999. Part of World Biographical Information Center.

Biographical entries from 188 reference sources originally published between 1581-1998. Part of World Biographical Information System.

Biographical entries from 90 reference works originally published between 1677 and 1996. Part of World Biographical Information System.

175 biographical encyclopedias originally published between 1711 and 1995. Part of World Biographical Information System.

115,000 biographical entries on 67,200 individuals from 89 reference works originally published between 1898 and 1994. Part of World Biographical Information System.

Online version of the 2 volume original.

Biographical entries from reference works originally published between 1875-2000. Part of World Biographical Information System.

Biographical entries from 77 reference works originally published between 1646 and 1999. Part of World Biographical Information System.

Biographical entries from 184 reference works originally published between 1815 and 1995. Part of World Biographical Information System.

Covers the region of the Mediterranean, the Arab Peninsula, Central Asia, and India. Biographical entries from 376 reference works published between 1760 and 2002. Part of the World Biographical Information System.

Approximately 100,000 biographies from 157 biographical encyclopedias originally published between 1854-2001. Part of World Biographical Information System.

302 biographical encyclopedias originally published between 1850 and 1997. Part of World Biographical Information System.

Biographical entries on 88,000 individuals, drawn from 233 reference sources published between 1807 and 1993. Part of World Biographical Information System.

Online version of the 6 volume original.

Biographical entries from 162 reference works originally published between 1848 and 1997. Part of World Biographical Information System.

Biographical entries from 626 reference works (in 933 volumes), originally published between 1702 and 1998, containing often-difficult-to-locate biographical information. Part of the World Biographical Information System.

Standard reference work for American biography. This is the online version of the 24 volume original plus updates. Biographies of men and women, deceased at least five years, who made especially important contributions to American history and culture. Only includes deceased Americans deemed historically significant by editorial board.

Online version of the 8 volume original plus supplements.

Online version of the 3 volume original. Also available in Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000 from Alexander Street Press.

Signed entries.

Also available in Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1600-2000 from Alexander Street Press.

Online version of the 3 volume original. Signed entries with bibliographies of primary sources. Bibliographies not annotated.

Subset of the Biographical Dictionary of Management (available in HPNL in print). Signed biographical entries with brief bibliographies. Bibliographies not annotated.

Online version of the 2 volume original.

Online version of the 8 volume original. Part of the Oxford African American Studies Center. The standard reference work for biographical information on over 4,000 African Americans who have made especially important contributions to African American history and culture.

2nd ed. Online version of the 3 volume original.

Online version of the 2 volume original.

Biographical entries from 194 reference works originally published between 1866 and 1987. Part of World Biographical Information System.