World Biographical Information System Online
The World Biographical Information System Online (or WBIS Online) is an online subscription database, referencing many different biographical secondary sources.
Claiming to be "the most comprehensive biographical database available", WBIS Online is based on the various series of Biographical Archives published by K. G. Saur Verlag, an imprint of Walter de Gruyter, each covering a country or language or cultural area and previously available in paper and microfiche editions. All in all it is said to include "approximately 10 million entries from over 8,600 reference works: works written since the 16th century in 40 languages and comprising more than 15,000 volumes."[1] The work of converting the microfiche editions to database form is ongoing and intended to be finished in 2009.