Through the years, it became quite evident that a source was needed to help identify Alabama authors and their works. In order to meet this need, the Alabama Library Association's Bibliographic Committee, in 1982, undertook the task to compile a list of writers and their works. Using an earlier publication, 20th Century Alabama Writers: a Checklist, the Committee started collecting other names to add to the list. The Committee, to accomplish its task, searched for the following information: 1) Occupation, 2) Date and place of birth, 3) Parents' names, 4) Education, 5) Marriage, 6) Children, 7) Employment or career, 8) Honors, 9) Miscellaneous information, and 10) Works.

It was often difficult to clearly identify the correct relationship with the writer's work. So, in order to avoid any confusion, it was decided that writer's relationship would be distinguished by listing the work as compiler, editor, contributor, or joint author.

To locate as much information about each entry in this directory, the Committee Members consulted the Biographical and Genealogical Master Index and its annual supplements. Vertical files at Jacksonville State University and the Alabama Authors file at the Alabama Public Library Service were also consulted. Other files checked were the Birmingham Public Library's Southern History Collection and the Personal Names File at the Alabama Department of Archives and History. It should be noted that during this phase of the project, the files at BPL and State Archives were closed or partially closed for renovations or filming of files. Book jackets, prefaces, introductions, or the contents of other works were examined for biographic information. If insufficient information was located, and if an address connected with a writer was present, a questionnaire was mailed to request further information. This method proved very successful as many biographic entries were compiled form the data gathered. Bibliographic information was compiled primarily from the OCLC Database. The holdings at Jacksonville State University or the listings of other reliable bibliographic sources were consulted when possible or necessary. Other publications of an author were examined for the listing of other works. A few entries were located through the use of the Library of Congress's printed catalog, the National Union Catalog, the card catalog of other libraries, or other standard bibliographic sources. Current newspapers were read for stories about new Alabama authors.

While the Biographical and Genealogical Master Index was a very useful resource, other reference tools were researched. These included the following: Alabama Blue Book and Social Register. Birmingham: Blue Book Publishing Co., 1929. Alabama Distinguished: Reknown Achievements. Albertville, Ala.: Reese Publisher, 1974. Barton, Virginia Hooper. Scripsit. Albertville, Ala.: Thompson Printing Co., 1979. Durham, Frances Gildart Ruffin. Anthology of Alabama Poetry, 1928. Atlanta, Ga.: E. Hartsock, The Bozart Press, 1928. Marks, Henry S. Alabama Past Leaders. Huntsville, Ala.: Strode, 1982. Marks, Henry S. Who Was Who in Alabama. Huntsville, Ala.: Strode, 1972. Owen, Marie Bankhead. The Story of Alabama: a History of the State. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1949. Owen, Thomas McAdory. History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography. Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1921. Who's Who in Alabama, vols. 1-3. Birmingham, Ala.: s.n. (John W. Sayers), 1965-1973.