Determine if the appeal is based strictly on personal vanity. One reference specialist at the Library of Congress suggests thinking of two or three individuals who should be included by the nature of their accomplishments in the area covered by a particular work. If so, the validity of the reference work may be in question. Be careful of offers for first editions. There is no assurance of its quality or that it will ever be published.
Most libraries purchase well-known and useful biographical dictionaries.
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