The Library has a new electronic resource that can be used from home computers or inside the library. Current Biography Illustrated contains excellent biographical information about all kinds of well-known people, including politicians, writers, actors, scientists, sports stars, and other people in the news. Each entry is about 2 to 3 pages, and they are very readable, almost like a magazine article, and yet, very fact-filled. They cover the childhood and younger years of the person, and then describe important events and achievements in their adult life. There is often a brief interview that reveals a more personal side of the person, and there are usually one or more photos as well.
If you have Internet access, go to the San Marino Public Library's web site at sanmarinopl.org and click on "SMILES", then click on the button that says "Current Biography- Outside Library." Type in your library card barcode in the white box, and you're ready to go. When you are in the library building, you don't have to do this last step. You can search by the person's name, of course, but you can also search by birthday, profession, country of origin, gender, and other criteria. Get biographies of all of the people who were born on July 1, or biographies of famous mathematicians. The usual way to search is by an individual's name, such as Bill Gates or Katherine Hepburn. Just type the name in where it says "search for" and then click on "start." When you get your results, you can print the biography or email it anywhere in the world.
Current Biography Illustrated is a great resource for students and for adults. The biographies are very interesting, fun to read, and not just for scholars. This product is very easy to use, but should you need help, call or ask at the reference desk.
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