COLLECTIONS:

Special Collections

University Archives

Collection Preservation

Research Collections:
Latin American Collection

Collection Overview
The Latin American collection supports present and anticipated interdisciplinary teaching and research in selected areas of  Latin American studies at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The library has been collecting material on Latin American history, theology, politics, economics, government, culture, society and literature long before the Latin American Studies Program was established. The history collection has focused on the Southern Cone countries (Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay). Selection of Spanish language materials focuses on material about Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, Andean Countries and the Southern Cone. The Latin American collection includes literary and critical works which support study and research in Hispanic studies, and Spanish American literature and culture in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures. Development of the Latin American collection follows the research and teaching emphases of the Latin American Studies Program.

Shari Taylor Grove
Latin American Studies Bibliographer
1-617-552-4447
E-Mail:grove@bc.edu

Selected Resources

In the O'Neill Library:

• Collected works and critical editions of major Spanish American authors, including the Biblioteca Ayacucho, among others.

• Important set: Handbook of Middle American Indians.

• Important microform sets:

  • Hispanic Culture Before 1601

  • FBI File on the American Churchwomen Killed in El Salvador, Dec. 2, 1980

  • Crises in Panama and in the Dominican Republic 1963-69

  • Cuba U. S. Consulate Despatch Havana 1783-1905

  • Archivo Americano y Espiritu de la prensa del mundo

  • U.S. Department of State Records and Files Relating to: Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Guatemala

  • Despatches from Special Agents Mexico, Paraguay and Spain 1930-1939

• Substantial holdings in Latin American journal literature, many from the first volume through the current issue.

• Reference works: Handbook of Latin American Studies; Latin American and the Caribbean: A Critical Guide to Research Sources;  Cambridge History of Latin America; Caribbeana 1900-1965, A Topical Bibliography; SALALM Publications, Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials; among others.

On the Web (Restricted to the BC Community):

• Subject index: HAPI: Hispanic American Periodicals Index

• Language & literature index: MLA Bibliography covers Spanish American Literature.

• General & interdisciplinary indexes:

  • Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Science)

  • Arts & Humanities Citation Index (Web of Science)

  • Expanded Academic Index ASAP (InfoTrac)

  • FRANCIS Bulletin Signalétique

  • PAIS International: Public Affairs Information ServiceSociological Abstracts

  • Anthropological Literature (Tozzer Library, Harvard University)

• Full text databases: Lexis Nexis Academic Universe (gives access to Latin American Newsletters, Latin American Weekly Report, and Latin American Regional Reports), EthnicNewsWatch.

• Electronic journals in Latin American Studies may be found at the following e-journal gateway: Project Muse.

• Other databases in the social sciences and the humanities: Subject Indexes to Online Databases: Social Sciences; Subject Indexes to Online Databases: Humanities.  This web page also has links to databases outside the social sciences and the humanities.

In the Burns Library:
Nicholas M. Williams Ethnological Collection.

Research Guides
More information about available resources can be found in the resource guides: Research Guide: Latin American Studies and Spanish and Latin American Literature.

Interdisciplinary Elements of Subject Area
Latin American Studies overlaps in the following departments: theology, history, economics, psychology, political science, sociology, economics, the arts, and literature.

Formats and Types of Materials
Formats collected include print, electronic, microform, and audiovisual. Types of materials include monographs, serials, and reference works such as major indexes, abstracts, catalogs, bibliographies, yearbooks, dictionaries, encyclopedias, research guides, and directories.

Languages
Materials published in Spanish and English languages are emphasized.

Geographic Areas (Subject Approach)
The collection covers all countries in the Americas south of the U.S. and the Caribbean. Latin American Studies covers 20 countries including the Caribbean.

Time Periods (Subject Approach)
The primary emphasis of the collection is the twentieth century, with purchases of significant works about the Colonial Period made whenever possible as the budget permits.  Selection of materials reflects interest in current Latin America and the Colonial Period.

Date of Publication
Current imprints are emphasized. Modern editions of classics as well as reprints of significant works are also emphasized.

Subject Areas Collected by Library of Congress Classification Number
BCAT, the online catalog, can be searched by LC classification number to get a better idea of specific titles are part of the Latin American Studies collection. For example, the command c=F1410. produces the beginning of a list of works on Latin America.  This list can be browsed by pressing the F8 key or typing f and pressing the Enter/Return key.