A strength of this database is that it digitizes the print volumes and makes them searchable in many ways. You can perform a basic or advanced search or just browse authors. With over 12,000 entries and nearly 17,000 images, Something About the Author Online is a growing collection. Every time a print volume is published, it is automatically loaded onto the database as well. You can search the database at anytime from any computer with internet access. That sure beats flipping through the pages of 200+ reference books! 

What can you find on Something About the Author Online? There are thousands of illustrated biographical profiles of children's authors and illustrators. There are also autobiographical essays written by authors and illustrators which provide a first-person perspective on their lives and careers. Personal photos are also included. Well-known and less prominent individuals are both covered in this database. Some helpful features include the ability to print and email content. While full citations are provided for each entry, a weakness of this database is that is does not include a tool for exporting citations.

Something About the Author Online is used by teachers, librarians, professors, students, and researchers. It is helpful when completing class assignments, developing presentations, and writing papers. This tutorial was created for students at the high school level. In this tutorial you'll find step-by-step instructions for using Something About the Author Online, sample searches, suggested uses, sample projects, and more. Use the links in the menu on the left of the page to navigate the tutorial. 

This tutorial was created in March 2011 by Taryn Super as a project for S603: Electronic Materials for Children and Young Adults, a graduate course at IUPUI.