Are you interested in learning facts about athletes, historical figures, artists, inventors, musicians, poets, explorers, politicians, or others? The Biography Reference Source database is available from our website, and it provides biographical information on thousands of individuals. It is especially helpful if you have general curiosity about these subjects or if you are working on an assignment that requires this type of research. It can also come in handy if you want to learn more about a person while you are waiting for a book or audiobook to arrive on the holdshelf, or if you are seeking specific information about the more salient parts of someone’s life.
These biographies draw from other sources, including Biography Today, the Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, and Encyclopedia Britannica, among others. There is also a list of Biographies by Genre and a Featured Biography that is rotated frequently.
Full-text articles are available for many subjects and this database allows you to cite them, save them in a folder for future retrieval, or email them. Pictures of the individuals in the biographies are available, as well as images of their work in some instances, such as artwork created by Georgia O’Keeffe. Even if you are not sure where to start with your search, you can find results by occupation, nationality, or time of birth. Additionally, you can filter results by Lexile score, which can be helpful when seeking information for younger readers.
Whether you’re looking for particular facts or fulfilling a quest for general curiosity, Biography Reference Source is a helpful database. It may not always be the ultimate or comprehensive resource for every subject, but it can be a great place to get started. To access Biography Reference Source from within the the library, you can sign up or sign in at any time, and when using it outside of the library, a library card number and password are required to login. For assistance, please give us a call at 970-243-4442, email us at ask@mcpld.org, or visit any of our 8 library locations in Mesa County.