Fundamentals of Reference

46 REFERENCE SOURCES

Reference Bank, and other sources have changed biographical infor-

mation from a largely print collection into an electronic one.^1

The use of electronic reference sources such as the ones mentioned above

offers flexibility in searching, from providing multiple points of access to the

ability to simultaneously search more than one volume or edition of a specific

biographical reference work.

Here are some examples of the variety of electronic biographical reference

sources currently available:

Biography and Genealogy Master Index, or BGMI. Gale Cengage Learn-

ing (www.gale.com). Originally a print resource and now available

in both print and electronic formats, the BGMI is a comprehensive

tool that supplies citations to biographical entries in some 2,000

reference works. The sources cited include biographical dictionaries

(including Who’s Who titles published by Marquis), subject ency-

clopedias, literary criticism, and other indexes. This is an excellent

place to start a search for biographical citations which can then be

used to locate specific articles and entries. BGMI is updated twice a

year in both formats.

Marquis Who’s Who on the Web. Marquis Who’s Who (www.marquis

whoswho.com). Print volumes of Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who

in the World, and Who Was Who in America have long been an essen-

tial part of a reference collection. The contents of these titles, and

many more Marquis Who’s Who publications from 1985 to the

present, are included in this massive database. It is easily searched

and updated daily, offering a rich resource for current and concise

biographical information.

Biography in Context, or BIC. Gale Cengage Learning (www.gale.com).

BIC provides the full texts of biographical articles from over 170

titles published by Gale. In addition, there are full-text articles from

newspapers and magazines and other content.

Biography Reference Bank. H. W. Wilson Company. Another outstand-

ing biographical reference resource is the Biography Reference Bank

(www .ebscohost.com/public/biography-reference-bank/). Long

regarded as a reliable publisher of essential library reference tools

(e.g., Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature, Current Biography,

http://www.ebook3000.com