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I never thought this question would engender so much interest, but
after getting over 100 replies in the first 72 hours after posting
the question...Wow!
Summary of recommendations:
1.  Tell teachers you are planning to weed this part of the collection.
(Explain collective biographies to them).  Ask them what kinds of
people they might be likely to assign, so you'll know what information
is needed.   Show them what is on the shelves.   then:
1.  Weed like crazy, and ruthlessly:
-- eliminate anything shorter than 2 pages per person.
-- eliminate anything that is most likely to be covered elsewhere, e.g.
Presidents, unless written on low reading level (sometimes slow
students need short and simple)
-- eliminate white male athletes whose careers lasted less than 3 years.
-- eliminate anything over 10 years old, unless about dead inventors,
mathematicians, minor explorers, ethnic politicians or entrepreneurs.
-- eliminate anything that makes you sneeze when you open it.

Now, with what's left:
2.  If you are blessed with an automated catalog, use extensive contents
notes.
3.  If you are still using a print catalog  (like me), consider:
--database,  looseleaf notebook or card file, kept on card catalog, in the
920's, or at the desk.
Each entry should include, at the minimum:
Subject's name, book's call number, title, and pages.  I would also
want to include subject's occupation, nationality/ethnic origin, and
birth-death dates (since I've found that teachers often assign topics
that way:   e.g.:mathematicians earlier than 1900).
note: develop a standard form(at) and find volunteers to do as much
of the clerical notations as possible!!
(I plan to develop a worksheet:  call # and title of book at top, then
columns to be filled in by hand.  Might even ask a whole class to do this,
one book per kid, as critical thinking exercise.  Then the actual typing
 of database entries can be done as time and willing hands permit).
4.  Consider recataloging as many titles as possible into their subject
numbers, wherever possible.   They will probably get much more
use there.
5.  Suggest alternative biographical research projects to teachers:
--compare the lives/influence  of 3 people with same occupation.
--write obituaries for 2 different people.
--develop a bragging contest for 3-4 different persons.
etc.
6.  Buy any new collective biographies very carefully, since much of
this current info will be out-of-date very quickly.


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