Have a question? Need assistance? Use our online form to ask a librarian for help.
In addition to the print HLAS volume, access individual annotations from Volume 35 to the present is available via HLAS Web. For more information on the search features and functionality, please see:
An FAQ provides answers to some common questions.
You can always contact the Hispanic Reading Room using the Ask a Librarian box (on the left) for help in English, Spanish, or Portuguese.
| HLAS Web (www.loc.gov/hlas) | |
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Citations for HLAS records from the 1960s to the present Three types of search (Browse, Advanced, Keyword) with Search Tips for each Develop sophisticated searches using and/or/not (Boolean) and specify fields Limit search by date, language, place of publication, or type of material (book, journal article, book chapter, map/atlas, or electronic resource) Icons for type of material make it easy to determine if a citation is for a book, a journal article, etc. Re-sort results by author or date of publication Select records to save, print, and email Zotero-compatible (zotero.org) Revise or redo a search using the search history (within a session) Save and share permanent link for each record Use Cite feature to quickly copy a citation for a record or set of records Create "canned searches" to be shared with others or for continuing use Connect directly from HLAS records to the LC Online Catalog (for books) Optimized for mobile access (responsive design) |
 
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How do I request materials I find in the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) or view digital versions of books and journals?
Please note that books and journals may only be requested by on-site researchers at the Library of Congress and that some works annotated in the Handbook and included in the database are not part of the Library's collections. If you are not in Washington, DC, you may be able to find the books, journal articles, book chapters, and conference papers cited in HLAS at your local public, university, or institutional library. To help you locate digital versions of books and journals described by HLAS records, click the LC Find It button to locate full text content accessible at the Library of Congress. To help offsite patrons, LC Find It menus also link to open access titles and web search engines. HLAS records contain direct links to digital versions when the Library has digitized the content or the content is available from an open access provider.
How do I access HLAS through the Library's wireless connections?
On-site Library patrons with personal wireless-enabled devices may access HLAS through the Library's free wireless service. Wireless users at the Library have access to research materials that may be limited to on-site use or have other restrictions on further dissemination because of copyright or licensing agreements. Restrictions on the use and further dissemination of these resources are the same whether researchers are accessing them using Library computers or via the Library's WiFi connections using their personal devices.
Where can I find print volumes of HLAS?
All volumes of the Handbook of Latin American Studies are available in the Hispanic Reading Room of the Library of Congress as well as many academic libraries. The print version of the Handbook of Latin American Studies (HLAS) is published by the University of Texas Press. To find additional information or to purchase recent HLAS volumes, please visit their website.
Is HLAS available as an e-book?
The University of Texas Press has begun issuing the Handbook as an e-book via JSTOR and DeGruyter.
Vols. 75-76 are available in e-format.
And a select number of HLAS volumes and the author index (Vols 1-28, 1936-1966) are freely available via the University of Florida Digital Collections.
How does relevance ranking work in my search results? What searches return relevance-ranked results?
Results of Keyword Search and searches entered in the Quick Search box in HLAS Web are arranged in a Titles List based on their relevance to your search. The most relevant items display first, as determined by three factors:
Wasn’t there another site to access HLAS content online?
Yes, HLAS Online was the first online search tool for HLAS content from the 1930s to the present. Access to the legacy search system was discontinued in 2024. The Library is working on a solution to provide access to the bibliographic records for the first 34 volumes and all of the introductory essays. Please contact the Hispanic Reading Room using the Ask a Librarian box (on the left) with any questions.
For more information on the history of different formats of HLAS content, you can read a paper entitled The Handbook of Latin American Studies: Its Automated History and a Comparison of Available Formats.
