This is a starting point in your search for information in the field of
Latin American studies. Ask at the reference desk for help in finding
or using any of the items listed below.
Off Campus Access - To access the library research databases referenced
on this guide from off campus, you will need to login to OCA. Click here
for information regarding the service.
Getting Started: Encyclopedias, Handbooks and Dictionaries
Encyclopedias and area study guides are a good place to start when you
know little about a topic, when you need an overview of a subject, or when
you want a quick summary of basic ideas. They can also be used to
gain awareness of academic methodology and theories, discover key figures
in the history of Latin America, or familiarize yourself with the vocabulary
of the field. Articles within these general works are often accompanied
by carefully selected bibliographies. The following are located in
the McHenry Library Reference Stacks:
The Cambridge encyclopedia of Latin America and the Caribbean F1406.C36
1992
Encyclopedia of Contemporary Latin American and Caribbean Cultures F1406
.E515 2000
Encyclopedia of Latin American history and culture F1406
.E53 1996
World bibliographical series (for specific country see Cruzcat) Call
# varies
Subject Headings
Books, films and recordings on Latin American studies are listed in the
CRUZCAT
online catalog and in Melvyl®
the shared UC catalog. Consult the Library
of Congress List of Subject Headingsfor other headings or ask
for help at the Reference Desk. Representative headings which may
searched as subject in Cruzcat or exact subject in Melvyl®:
If you are unable to identify an exact subject heading, the topic may be
searched as a keyword search in Cruzcat or in the Melvyl® Catalog.
Journal Articles
To locate articles on Latin American topics, you should begin with a periodical
index and/or abstracting service. While most topics in Latin American studies
will be well represented in general indexes such as the Expanded
Academic Index ASAP (formerly CDL/MAGS database) or the Reader's
Guide to Periodical Literature, more specific topics should be
researched using the following specilized indexes. The content of
the indexing or abstracting databases will also vary, some contain not
only citations while others provide abstracts or links to the full-text.
Indexes and Abstracting services for related subject disciplines will also
be relevent, e.g. Music
Index for ethnomusicology or Art
Full Text for mural art. Consult the library's Electronic
Resourcespage for more information.
Off Campus Access - To access the library research databases referenced
on this guide from off campus, you will need to login to OCA. Click here
for information regarding the service.
University Library / 
UC Santa Cruz
