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Collection Development Manual > Libraries & Collections > Central Library > Biography

Biography

The Biography collection has two main parts: reference sets that include shorter biographies of many individuals, and book-length biographies of individuals (or occasionally of famous families, business partners, siblings, or the like). Book-length biographies of individuals are the biggest priority in this collection.

For book-length biographies, the library focuses on titles describing the lives of Oregonians and other Pacific Northwesterners, and on people who are internationally or nationally well known.

The Biography collection is used primarily by students doing research for school or college projects, by teachers, by amateur researchers, and by general readers who are simply looking for a good book.

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Biographies of individuals who are known for their activities in the visual or performing arts (painters, musicians, actors, film directors, architects, cartoonists, dancers) or in the world of sports and games (chess players, basketball stars, Olympic athletes) are generally kept with the subject collections. This means that a biography of a photographer would be with the Art and Architecture collection, and a biography of a snowboarding star would be with the Sports collection. At Central Library, these collections are kept in the Humanities rooms.

In addition, reference books and sets that contain biographies of people grouped by profession or occupation are generally kept together with the subject the profession fits into. For example, a book of biographies of women scientists would be kept in the Natural Sciences collection (which, at Central Library, is kept in the Science & Business Room).