The ANB bills itself as the successor of the Dictionary of American Biography, which was first published between 1926 and 1937. It is not, however, a strict superset of this older publication; the selection of topics was made anew.[5]
It is commonly available in the reference sections of United States libraries,[6][7] and is available online by subscription (see external links).
It has been criticized for missing cross references and occasional errors,[10] and for its cost, which is said to limit availability in poor countries.[11]