The DLB is a long-running series of themed volumes, such as American Novelists Since World War II and Russian Writers Since 1980, each containing a few dozen long essays including a mixture of literary criticism and biographical information that puts the authors work in context. This database allows researchers to search the entire series at once, as well as supplementary publications like the DLB Yearbook Series and the DLB Documentary Series.
Information about an author can sometimes be found by checking the preface or introduction of an author's work for scholarly background and academic achievements.