e-Reference Reviews: June, 2005

-- School Library Journal, 6/1/2005

African American Biographical Database (AABD). ProQuest. 2005. www.proquest.com. Call for pricing. Updated quarterly. Free trial avail. (Accessed 4/15/05).

Gr 10 Up–ProQuest’s African-American Biographical Database (AABD) brings together biographies, rare books, and historical information on more than 30,000 African Americans from every walk of life. The overall dates of coverage are 1790–1950. AABD includes sketches of national activists; state and local figures; prominent women; legal, medical, educational, business, and other professionals; musicians, artists, and writers; church and missionary leaders; social club and fraternal order members; reform organization members; former slaves; and more, many of which are not found in any other reference source. It is searchable by name or by subject’s place of birth, occupation, religion, date of birth or death, gender, and by source of information. AABD also offers full-text searching for more than 140 titles. The backbone of AABD is the multivolume series Black Biographical Dictionaries 1790-1950 (Chadwyck-Healey).

In addition to biographical information, students can view thousands of photographs and illustrations (some primary-source documents) and the biographical dictionaries used to compile the biographies. All volumes used as sources can be searched or viewed, providing electronic access to rare books and allowing for further historical and cultural research.

To perform searches for a biography of an individual, users employ the “Profile Search.” This feature retrieves material by name, place of birth, date of birth, date of death, occupation, religion, gender, or source of information. This search leads to a list of matching profiles. Each one includes biographical information about the individual, including links to one or more biographical sketches about the subject.

If students cannot find the person they are looking for as a profile subject or if they wish to find other mentions of the individual, then they can proceed to a “Full Text Search.” This option can be used to search the full text of the biographical sources by any word or phrase, including a personal name. Full-text searching provides access to all points in the text where a specific subject or topic is mentioned. This enables students to locate mentions of friends, relatives, and associates of biographees as well as information on geographical areas, political organizations, or other topics of interest.

AABD supports Boolean searching, truncation searching, and proximity searching where appropriate. It is a scholarly research database for anyone interested in the rich cultural heritage of the African-American community. A free trial is recommended to ensure that this database fits into your school’s curriculum.

Biography Reference Bank (BRB). H.W. Wilson. 2005. www.hwwilson.com. WilsonWeb annual subscription price for K–12 schools starts at $1,845 for enrollment of up to 1000 students. For public libraries, price starts at $2,725 for one SU (simultaneous user). Updated daily. Free trial avail. (Accessed 4/11/05).

Gr 8 Up–Biography Reference Bank (BRB) contains information (average length 1500–2000 words) on more than 500,000 people from antiquity to the present with links to 175,000+ related full-text articles. More than 30,000 images bring the profiles to life. BRB brings together more than 50 Wilson titles including Biography Index, Current Biography, the World Author Series, Nobel Prize Winners, World Artists, World Film Directors, and American Reformers. Also included are 70,000 licensed profiles from titles of other major publishers: Chambers Harrap (1 title); Fitzroy Dearborn (12); Garland Publishing (8); Greenwood (14); Harvard University Press (1); Helicon (1); Houghton Mifflin (4); James Clarke & Co. (2); Oryx (12); Oxford Publishing, Ltd. (40); and Oxford University Press (9, with 5,000 new biographies from American National Biography).

Sources include more than 3,000 periodicals, some 2,500 current books, and other biographical material. Subjects represent all fields and nationalities. The database is searchable by name; profession; place of origin; gender; ethnicity; birth/death dates, day, and year; titles of works; and keyword. As in Current Biography Illustrated (see review below), there are three search options. “Advanced Search” is the default screen and allows students to customize their searches using numerous parameters. “Basic” works best with personal names, while “Browse” allows students to enter words, terms, or phrases and then choose the applicable field (16 choices) from the drop-down menu. Displayed results can be sorted by date instead of by relevancy, and can be customized. As with other Wilson databases, CBI allows users to print, e-mail, and save, and it features document type, search history, document description, limiting capabilities, All SmartSearch Technology, and open URL compliancy.

Because BRB includes a daunting number of entries of various types, searches using the latest version now retrieve a single master record. This record, in turn, features hotlinks to each category of material available: original Wilson profiles, profiles licensed from other reference publishers, magazine articles, and records of books by and about the subject. From the page for each category, users can click to the citation of interest.

Biography Reference Bank is the mother lode for biographies because it draws from every article about any individual from any of the WilsonWeb databases—biographical profiles, feature articles, interviews, essays, book reviews, performance reviews, speeches, or obituaries. The breadth and depth of information included in BRB is awesome and the number of color photographs included is more than in any other biography database. I tried to stump the search engine by looking up about 50 recent newsmakers (Pope John Paul II, Prince Charles, etc.), and in every case I retrieved relevant, current information.

Biography Reference Bank is a powerful database which may overwhelm some students. Request a free trial of both Current Biography Illustrated and Biography Reference Bank and see which one fits your students’ curricular needs.

Biography Resource Center (BRC). Thomson Gale. 2005. www.gale.com. K–12 pricing begins at $3,644. Free trial avail. Updated monthly. (Accessed 4/9/05).

Gr 7 Up–Biography Resource Center (BRC) is Thomson Gale’s paramount biographical online reference database. The information contained within BRC is perfect for a multitude of subject areas: science, multicultural studies, business, politics, government, history, entertainment, sports, the arts, and literature.

Biography Resource Center contains nearly 415,000 biographies on more than 325,000 people. The information comes from over 880 volumes of more than 135 Thomson Gale sources such as Contemporary Authors; Encyclopedia of World Biography; Newsmakers; Contemporary Theatre, Film, and Television; Contemporary Musicians, Historic World Leaders; Notable Twentieth-Century Scientists; Contemporary Black Biography; Religious Leaders of America; International Dictionary of Art and Artists; and Writers Directory. Full-text articles from more than 270 periodicals (American History, The Christian Century, Saturday Night, and U.S. News & World Report) specifically chosen for their renowned biographical content in a broad range of subject areas are also included. Plus, material from the current Marquis Who’s Who™ is available as an optional add-on module.

Most students will begin using BRC with “Name Search,” a simple fill-in-the-blank field with “Name Contains” or “Start of Last Name” options. A list of names that match the search criteria is returned. A tabbed results page displays the types of content available: narrative biographies, thumbnail biographies, Marquis Who’s Who™ (added subscription), magazine articles, and Web sites. Clicking on their selection retrieves the full-text article along with the bibliographic citation. To find current information on the person, students can click on the “View Recent Update Link.” This material consists of short blurbs compiled by staff editors with periodical source citations.

To perform a more targeted search, students click on the “Biographical Facts Search” or “Advanced Search” buttons. The former provides students with choices: name, occupation, nationality (drop-down list), ethnicity (drop-down list), gender, birth year, death year, and place. Students can combine criteria to create a highly specific search. The latter allows students to use Boolean operators with the name, keyword, source, and full-text fields.

Pope John Paul II was the subject of my search. I typed in “Pope John” and clicked “Name Contains” and the first entry retrieved was “John Paul II (Polish pope, 1920–2005).” The results fell into several categories: narrative biographies (7), thumbnail biographies (1), magazine articles (1018), and Web sites (5: CNN Biography, CNN.com, The Holy See, PBS, Vatican home page). The “View Recent Update” button retrieved four blurbs with citations.

The header for each page provides access to Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, “Search Tips,” Lists of Sources,” “Research Guide,” and “Help”. Students and teachers will find the “Research Guide” helpful both in narrowing down their searches and in discovering the various types of information that are available in BRC.

Visit www.gale.com/BiographyRC/ to view the title list, download an in-service packet, or to take an online guided tour. Biography Resource Center, with its clean, crisp interface, invites students to search for their favorite people. Teachers and students in all disciplines will find educational value when interacting with this database.

Current Biography Illustrated (CBI). H.W. Wilson. 2005. www.hwwilson.com. WilsonWeb annual subscription price for K–12 schools starts at $925 for enrollment of 1000 students. For public libraries, price starts at $925 for one SU (simultaneous user). Updated monthly. Free trial avail. (Accessed 4/11/05).

Gr 6 Up–Current Biography Illustrated (CBI) contains the full text of the 25,000 biographies and obituaries that have appeared in Current Biography Yearbook since 1940, many accompanied by photos (more than 20,000). CBI profiles artists, politicians, businesspeople, journalists, actors, writers, sports figures, scientists, and other prominent individuals in the news. The biography profiles average 2500 words and provide information such as full name, preferred name, or pseudonym; birth date; business or home address; field or profession; an account of the subject’s life and career; the subject’s own views, attitudes, and opinions; and observations of journalists, colleagues, and associates. The completed articles are sent to the biographee for fact checking. CBI includes both the earlier and latest article on the same individual, providing fuller coverage. A bibliography of works about the subject and article citations guide students to further information.

Numerous updated biographies and articles that have not appeared in the print editions are also included. The profiles and obituaries are searchable by name; profession; place of origin; title; gender; race/ethnicity; title of works; day, date, or year of birth or death; keyword; and profession/occupation. Searches also can be limited to images.

The search screen defaults to “Advanced Search,” where students can tweak their searches using the above parameters. Other options include “Basic” and “Browse.” “Basic” works best with personal names. A search for Pope John Paul II retrieved both the 1979 and 2000 articles as well as his obituary. Students using the “Browse” feature, enter words, terms, or phrases and then select the applicable field (16 choices) from the drop-down list. Results can be displayed by date instead of by relevancy, and customized displays are available.

CBI is strong on popular culture and political figures. It complements American National Biography, which includes only those who are deceased. The plethora of search parameters and limiters permits students to find such items as biographies of all of the people who were born on April 1 or biographies of famous scientists.

Result search terms appear in bold black italics. Each result is offered as a brief display that supplies a subject’s name, birth and death dates (if applicable), profession, and an image (if applicable). Selecting a hit opens a fuller display that consists of a thumbnail photograph that can be enlarged, links to additional images (if any), subject’s name, dates, links to Current Biography articles and obituaries, and a list of the professions or activities assigned to the person.

The usual Wilson database features are present: print, e-mail, save, document type, search history, document description, limiting features, All SmartSearch Technology, open URL compliant, etc. Uniform name authority control makes searching easy and reliable.

CBI is written in an energetic style that makes for entertaining as well as informative reading. It is a great and easy-to-use resource for both students and teachers. The biographies are interesting, fun to read, and not just for scholars. Biographies come alive in Current Biography Illustrated.

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