Author Description

The Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) is widely recognized as a major historical and literary achievement. Since publication of the original volumes between 1885 and 1900, supplements have been issued bringing the current total to thirty-two printed volumes. The availability of the DNB on CD-ROM creates a whole new range of possibilities for exploring the content of this massive publication. Documented in this impressive reference work are the lives of nearly 40,000 people. Now, not only does computerization allow for instant access to this wealth biographical information, it also facilitates wide-ranging searches which are impossible to perform using the printed volumes. Searches can now be constructed which range from general to specificfrom queries relating a group of people with similar descriptions to obscure references concerning little known individuals.While the DNB's authoritative content is of great scholarly interest to professionals including biographers, historians, journalists, genealogists and archivists; its entries, which combine fact, anecdote and personal memoir in readable and entertaining form, possess a charm which has always made the DNB appealing to general readers. All of these features combine to make the CD-ROM edition of the DNB an essential reference and research tool which no library should be without.CD-ROM Advantages:* Instantly locate biographies of individuals by name.* Quickly locate articles of interest by browsing any of the available indexes including: title, occupation, location and date.* Search for words across the full text of the DNB--all 32 volumes in seconds.* Create precise searches using Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) and employing filters such as gender and case sensitivity.* Sort results of searches to allow for efficient browsing.* Save or print the results of searches.* Bookmark items of interest.* Change font styles and sizes for greater readability on screen.