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Research Guides

Collection Guidelines: Latin American & Caribbean Studies: Subject Info

Collecting guidelines for Latin American & Caribbean Studies (LACS) materials at UW Libraries (Seattle).

About This Guide

Map of Latin America

These are the guidelines by which materials are purchased for the French language and literatures collections of the UW Libraries (Seattle Campus).  For questions or more information, please contact the Latin American & Caribbean Studies Librarian.

Image: Common geographical regions of Latin America

UW Libraries: Collection Goals

The UW Libraries is committed to providing convenient and timely access to collections and information resources that are outstanding with respect to their quality, depth, diversity, format and currency to support the research and teaching missions of the University of Washington.

The Latin American & Caribbean Studies collections support the research and teaching missions of the Latin American & Caribbean Studies Program, as well as students and researchers in other UW programs doing related work.

Subject Definition

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The Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) collection supports the students and faculty in Latin American & Caribbean Studies and related programs at the University of Washington.   Fifty-two faculty across the three campuses are affiliated with the program, representing departments such as Human Rights, Geography, Spanish & Portuguese Studies, French & Italian Studies, History, the Information School, Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences and more.

The LACS collection includes materials about the entire Latin American and Caribbean hemisphere south of the United States.  Although no nation is excluded, the collection’s geographic focus traditionally has been on Mexico, the Andean region, and Central America.  Emphasis within the geographical guidelines is on the social sciences, although not to the total exclusion of other fields like agriculture and the environment.

French, Spanish, and Portuguese languages and literatures are covered by the French & Italian Studies and the Spanish & Portuguese Studies collections.  Cinema Studies primarily purchases film and film criticism for the region. Materials about Latinx communities in the United States are collected by the American Ethnic Studies Librarian.  Music, art, architecture and science-related materials are primarily covered by those selectors.

Subject Classification

Library of Congress classification (LC):

  • Major subject areas fall within:
    • BL2540-2592. Religion in Latin America
    • BR600. Christianity in Latin America
    • E65. History: Latin America (Pre-Columbian America)
    • F1201-3799. History: Latin America and the Caribbean
    • GN. Anthropology
    • HC. Economic conditions and history
    • HD. Industries, Land Use, Labor
    • HN. Social history and conditions, Social problems
    • HQ. The family, Marriage, Women
    • HV. Social pathology, Social and public welfare, Criminology
    • HV640s. Refugee Relief
    • JC599. Human Rights - Latin America
    • JL599-3899. Political Science, Political institutions and public administration: Latin America & the Caribbean
    • JV7200-7539. Emigration and immigration: Latin America & the Caribbean
    • M. Music
    • N. Fine Arts
    • PC. Romance Language Linguistics
    • PN1990-1999. Broadcasting, Motion Pictures
    • PN4930-5106. Journalism in Latin America
    • PQ. Romance Language Literatures