The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) is an online version of a 60 volume printed set, and contains more than 50,000 biographies of British men and women.
It's a perfect resource to use alongside the Biography Resource Center and Dictionary of New Zealand Biography.
Search
(needs a library card barcode and PIN)
Try a quick search from here - just type in a keyword, click Go, and enter your library card barcode and PIN.
Key content
The Oxford DNB contains biographies of noteworthy people from all walks of life.
- No living people are included.
- Coverage stretches from the earliest times to the end of the year 2002.
It includes people who were born in Britain, people who living in places under British rule, and people who lived in Britain and made their mark there.
Search tips
Quick Search on the homepage - you can search either for a person, or for keywords in the text of the biography itself.
Advanced Search gives you a range of options. Using the People search, you can narrow your search by place or field of interest. This could be useful if you can't remember the name of a person, but know a few key facts.
The
Themes section is a great way to put a person's life in context. It contains mini-essays on topics like 'Captains of the England cricket team', with links to specific biographies. Perfect for history research.
Practice your search skills with our Oxford Dictionary of National Biography quiz
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