Biographies in GALILEO
Want to learn more about a famous person? GALILEO includes many resources that provide just that.
Encyclopædia Britannica includes articles about important figures, including presidents from Washington to Obama; artists, such as Michelangelo and Jackson Pollock; entertainers including Bob Hope and Justin Beiber; athletes from Hank Aaron to Shaun White; scientists from Sir Isaac Newton to Stephen Hawking; and more. From Aristotle to Tupac Shakur, you’ll find famous people from all time periods and all walks of life.
History Reference Center offers articles about many historical and current figures, including Hosni Mubarak, Nikola Tesla, and other interesting people. Book Collection: Nonfiction, which is designed for K-12 students, provides book chapters covering famous figures, including Alexander the Great, Nelson Mandela, Mary Wollstonecraft, Bill Gates, and so many more. In each of these databases, just search for the person by name or search for biography to see all the different people you can find in this database.
For author biographies, check out Literary Reference Center, which offers biographical information on over 200,000 authors (including some Georgia authors). Choose the Browse Authors option from the main page or just search for the author by name to find biographies of authors, such as Zora Neale Hurston and James Dickey to name just two. NoveList and NoveList K-8 include very brief information about authors with links to their works and appeal terms to describe their tone and writing style. Just search for the author by name or choose the Authors option from the navigation bar at the top of the screen.
Oxford Art Online includes a Biographies link at the top of the page to information about artists from a wide range of styles and periods.
Genealogy resources can also be a great source of interesting biographical information. All public libraries in Georgia have access to Ancestry Library Edition and HeritageQuest Online. Search these to find census records, military records, birth and death certificates, immigration records, and so much more.
If you’re interested in learning more about famous folks with connections to Georgia, the New Georgia Encyclopedia, the Digital Library of Georgia, and GeorgiaInfo have you covered. The New Georgia Encyclopedia offers in-depth, authoritative articles about historical and current figures in Georgia. From James Oglethorpe to Margaret Mitchell to Tyler Perry, you’ll find all types of interesting characters. The Digital Library of Georgia includes images, historical documents, newspapers, and more about many Georgia people - from folklife to former presidents. Finally, for a list of the who’s who in Georgia, check out GeorgiaInfo’s list of Famous Georgians.
You can find these resources and more in the Browse by Type > Biographical Sources section of GALILEO Scholar, the Browse by Subject > Biography section of GALILEO Library, the Browse by Type > Biographies section in GALILEO High School, or the By Type > People section in GALILEO Teen.
Also, check out our archived webinar and a handout with these resources.
Article and search links may not work off site. Click the database name first for access.
Images from Encyclopædia Britannica Online