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Cambridge University Library

 

This page provides pointers to databases bought or subscribed to by the Library which are of particular Hispanic or Lusophone interest. The databases are listed alphabetically in three groups (textual resources, bibliographical resources and news sources), with brief summaries of their contents and capabilities. Each database listed below is also linked to its entry on the Library's main e-resources pages, where access requirements can be found.

 

TEXTUAL RESOURCES

ARTstor

The ARTstor digital library provides millions of arts and humanities images for research and teaching purposes. Users can browse by a number of categories as well as perform specific searches. The main categories are: geography (countries), classification (specific subjects or genres) and collections, and these are divided in turn into the appropriate geographical or classification subdivisions. For example, a geography category browse shows that there are over 102,000 images associated with Latin America, Spain and Portugal. A search by the classification subdivisions Photographs, Painting, or Architecture and City Planning show thousands of images for these geographical areas. Subject guides for Latin American Studies and Native American and Indigenous Studies also give an insight into some interesting collections featured in this resource.

Cambridge companions online / Cambridge histories online

A large number of books are available electronically from Cambridge Collections Online and can be found through searches on the LibrarySearch catalogue. Two databases also bring together the contents of specific Cambridge books, duplicating what is available through the catalogue but allowing searches across books. Cambridge Companions Online includes a very wide range of publications relating to Hispanists. Among the general literature titles are The Cambridge Companion to Modern Spanish Culture, The Cambridge Companion to Modern Latin American Culture, The Cambridge Companion to the Latin American Novel and The Cambridge Companion to the Spanish Novel; and the more specific literary ones include companions to Jorge Luis Borges, Mario Vargas Llosa, Gabriel García Márquez and Cervantes. Cambridge Histories Online can be searched with a specific term or its contents can be browsed, in categories which include literary studies and regional history.

Chicano Database

The Chicano database is a comprehensive resource currently available through OCLC (select ChicanoDatabase from the dropdown menu). It contains over 2,470 journal and other bibliographic materials on Mexican-American topics from 1967 to the present. Scope expanded to 1992 to include the broader Latino experience, including Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and Central American immigrants. From the 31st of August, access to the database will be via EbscoHost (it will continue to be available via OCLC for a reasonable period after this date to allow users a smooth transition).

Ethnographic video online

A visual encyclopaedia for the study of human culture and behavior and the largest streaming video collection of its kind in the world. It contains 824 videos totaling about 506 hours of classic and contemporary documentaries produced by leading video producers in the discipline; previously unpublished footage from working anthropologists and ethnographers in the field; and select feature films. Films are arranged by continent, providing access to hundreds of unique cultures from all over the world. Search by subject, cultural group, geographic location, date of filming, filmmaker, etc. A geography category browse shows that there are 132 videos associated with Latin America, 9 associated with Spain, and 42 with Central America.

Oxford Language dictionaries online

As well as offering extensive Spanish dictionary in electronic format, this database also includes a relevant range of tools and resources; useful phrases, cultural notes, interesting weblinks and a calendar of festivals and holidays. The opportunity is provided to subscribe to a Spanish Word of the day for those keen to develop their vocabulary.

BIBLIOGRAPHIES

International Bibliography of the Social Sciences

The International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS) is an essential online resource for social science and interdisciplinary research. IBSS includes over two million bibliographic references to journal articles and to books, reviews and selected chapters dating back to 1951. It is unique in its broad coverage of international material and incorporates over 100 languages and countries. Over 2,800 journals are regularly indexed and some 7,000 books are included each year. Abstracts are provided for half of all current journal articles and full text availability is continually increasing.

MLA International bibliography

The MLA international bibliography is a classified listing and subject index of scholarly books and articles published on modern languages, literatures, folklore, and linguistics, compiled by the Modern Language Association of America. The bibliography first appeared in 1926, as a section within the journal PMLA, and became a separate publication in 1969. The electronic version first appeared in the late 1970s, and for a long time only covered volumes from 1963 onwards; as of April 2006, the entire print run is included, from 1926 to the present. It contains more than 2 million records for books and articles.

 

NEWS SOURCES

FACTIVA

Provides worldwide full text coverage of local and regional newspapers. It contains more than 28.500 sources from 200 countries and 25 languages and over 600 continuously updated newswires. For Latin American and Iberian news, select the appropriate region: Central America, Caribbean Islands, Latin America, South America or European Union Countries.

World News Connection

As the link above will show, the World news connection (WNC) database consists of various subsets, including Latin American & the Caribbean and Western Europe. WNC is a service run by the US government, providing translated news items from around the world. The WNC database provides an archive of these items. The Western Europe subset includes 8 sources from Spain and 3 from Portugal. WNC for Latin America & the Caribbean includes 39 sources.