There are many resources available in the library to help scholars evaluate books.  When evaluating books, consider relevance, currency, author’s credentials, content, and bibliography.  The Reference section of the Hartfield Library holds many books that provide extensive information that can be used in evaluating sources.  Many of these sources are especially useful when evaluating books.  Reference sources include sources of biographical information and sources of book reviews or critical interpretations of other books.     

When evaluating a book, a good first step is to look for information on the author’s credentials.  This information is easily found in books that offer biographical information about authors.  Biographies—the histories of a person’s life—generally include such information as where they went to school, what degree(s) were earned, what other books they have written, what awards and recognition they have received, and what professional organizations that they are members of.   Some of the biographical sources in the library offer chapters with extensive information on popular or well known on the authors. 

It is often important to determine the background of the author of a book or article you wish to use in your research. In advanced courses, your instructors may ask you to defend the reliability and value of your sources.  Biographical sources will help you establish the credentials of many authors.

Biographical sources vary in the amount of information provided.

• Pseudonym handbooks list an author's pseudonym and/or nickname followed by their real name.  Write these names down and look for them in the other biographical sources.  (Ex.  Pseudonym and Nicknames Dictionary)
  
  

• Biographical Indexes lead you to magazine or journal articles on a person.  (Ex. Biography Index)
  
  

• Directories give basic data about a person, such as birth and death dates, where the person was educated, list of publications, association affiliations, current address, etc.  (Ex. Who's Who in America)
  
  

• Biographical Dictionaries provide a short paragraph of biographical information.  (Ex. Webster's Biographical Dictionary)
  
  

• Biographical Encyclopedias contain long articles describing the person's life, character, philosophy, accomplishments, and may include a limited amount of criticism of the author's work.  (Ex. Contemporary Authors)