More than 2600 different magazines are analyzed for biographical material in the Biography Index.  Of these, about 375 are carried by HCC's library.  Arrangement is by the name of the person.  After the name, you will find birth and death dates, nationality, profession and the citation to the periodical.  The part of the index that covers professional and occupational biography data is useful if you want to find information on nurses, firemen, policemen, etc.  The index covers some books, and particularly makes note of individual biographies and autobiographies as well as collections.  Obituaries are listed, including those from The New York Times back to 1947.  For an example on how to use the Biography Index, refer to the information guide for the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature.  The same company, H. W. Wilson, produces both indexes and both use the same format.

Once you have identified some biographical sources, retrieve them from the shelves and/or databases.  You will find that the Hartfield Library has many sources of biographical information about authors.  Two of the most popular of these sources include Contemporary Authors and Something About the Author.