  The literature on the $\lambda$ Boo stars has grown to become somewhat
heterogenous, as different authors have applied different criteria across the
UV, optical and infrared regions to determine the membership status of
$\lambda$ Boo candidates. We aim to clear up the confusion by consulting the
literature on 212 objects that have been considered as $\lambda$ Boo
candidates, and subsequently evaluating the evidence in favour of their
admission to the $\lambda$ Boo class. We obtained new spectra of $\sim$90 of
these candidates and classified them on the MK system to aid in the membership
evaluations. The re-evaluation of the 212 objects resulted in 64 members and
103 non-members of the $\lambda$ Boo class, with a further 45 stars for which
membership status is unclear. We suggest observations for each of the stars in
the latter category that will allow them to be confidently included or rejected
from the class. Our reclassification facilitates homogenous analysis on group
members, and represents the largest collection of confirmed $\lambda$ Boo stars
known.
