Resources Overview 

HINTS
Books provide very useful structured information, particularly on people no longer alive

Many are found in the 920-929 section, but if you are looking for a person who has achieved in a particular field eg a scientist or musician, you may find resources in subject sections -
509 Scientists | 796 Sports people | 780 Musicians

The Internet has plenty of information, but the results of a simple keyword search may be overwhelming.  Instead of spending time sifting through huge numbers of links, check the sites on the Library Resource Centre home page before using a search engine.

Key Words

Simply use the surname of the person and search under subject
Make sure the spelling is correct.
If the person was significant in the history of a country, check also under the name of the country
eg South Africa - History for 'Nelson Mandela'

Digital Resources

ENCYCLOPAEDIAS 
Always a good place to start for famous people no longer living
World book and Britannica are available

BIGCHALK - database includes books, magazines, newspapers. A good source of information on people past and present. See library staff for ID and password.

SEARCH ENGINES Check through the listing to see which would be the most appropriate. eg is the person Australian? 
Or South Australian? Or Aboriginal?

INTERNET LINKS -
Use the Biography  links on our library home page
Choose from several different categories for further searching.

MAGAZINES - Life and History Today could be worth checking. 
Findarticles.com is also an excellent source for current people.

ENCYCLOPAEDIAS
World Book is a source of information on famous world figures. This is a good place to start.

BOOKS
The library has many books on famous individuals
This includes many volumes of collected biographies eg -
920 TOT 101 Great Australians
920 FLO Makers of history
920 HAR The 100: a ranking of the most influential persons in history
920 WIL Generals who changed the world
920 WIL Statesman who changed the world
920 WIL People who changed the world
920 McL The Collins encyclopaedia of famous people
920.02 MEN Men and women who changed the world

MAGAZINES
Use Guidelines magazine index to find articles on people who are still alive and likely to be in the news.
If our library does not have the magazine you need, see one of the library staff for assistance.

Deciding on a person - Famous 20th century Australians | Famous people in 19th century Australia | Prominent people in South Australia
How to present an oral 
How to prepare a biographical assignment
Biography Maker (Web based steps)
Locating information
Compiling a bibliography