Introduction

=**Welcome to Women in the Performing Arts**= =**An Annotated Bibliography of Biographical Resources**= =**Compiled by: Brittany Cooper, Lisa Norton, Charlotte Sturm, and Christine Thompson**=



Introduction
This bibliography covers a variety of biographical resources. These resources range from traditional print materials to electronic databases to multimedia materials to archival collections. Across all of these biographical resource mediums, users will be able to access pertinent information that will help them learn about the lives and accomplishments of women from the past and present in the field of the performing arts. This includes: dance, theater, film, and musical industries. The majority of these resources are appropriate for general audiences (unless otherwise indicated); however, several of them would also be appropriate for academic scholars, particularly those specializing in the field of the performing arts.

Methodology
The authors of this bibliography used a number of methods to search and identify these biographical resources. These include a survey of the major resources listed in //Reference and Information Services in the 21st Century: An Introduction// (2nd edition, 2009) by Kay Ann Cassell and Uma Hiremath; a survey of a number of academic library listings of biographical resources, including those available through the University of Maryland's library system; directed searching for online resources related to women in the performing arts; and personal knowledge of existing resources.