History

The Nettie Lee Benson Latin American collection at the University of Texas at Austin is one of the largest Latin American and Latin@ Studies collections in the world. The library’s holdings include over a million books, magazines, newspapers, journals and other materials. This collection is complemented by a world-class archival collection containing manuscripts, art, maps, letters and other one-of-a-kind materials. The collection is continually enriched by a vigorous acquisitions program and by a growing collection of original digital resources available online. Our resources are complemented by important Latin American holdings at the Perry-Castañeda Library, the Harry Ransom Center and the Blanton Museum of Art.

The Benson Latin American Collection was established in 1921 with an outstanding collection of manuscripts and rare books from Mexico, and the Mexican holdings remain one of our strongest focuses, but we have important materials from every corner of Latin America. Our U.S. Latin@ Studies collection, which was started with the Mexican American Library Program in 1974, is one of the most important of its type in the world.

The Benson Latin American collection of the UT Libraries supports and works most closely with the Center for Mexican American Studies, the Department of Mexican American & Latina/o Studies, the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, and the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies.