Use the Advanced Search page in the catalog to search for the person’s name in the Subject field and biograph* (the asterisk finds variant word endings) in the Keyword field. See these sample results for Virginia Woolf.

Additionally, the Biography and Genealogy Master Index is an important source that indexes biographical entries that are found in other biographical reference works. The target works may be in print or online.

For biographies of deceased Britons and Americans, search the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography or the database of American National Biography, respectively.

The World Biographical Information System provides citations to biographical sources around the world, including living subjects.