NUsearch - Books & More
NUsearch is the library's tool for finding books, journals, videos, images, and so much more (both physical and electronic) in our collection.
Search Strategy
Probably the best way to approach searching for books in NUsearch is to start with a keyword search.
- Enter your search terms, using words you're familiar with that describe your topic.
- Scan through the results.
- When you find a book that is relevant to your topic, explore the details of the book, including the author, table of contents and publisher by clicking on the tab labeled "Details".
- Pay special attention to the subject headings. Clicking on these will call up a list of other books that deal with similar topics.
Subject Headings
In addition to keywords, you can try using subject headings to find books. The main Library of Congress subject heading that refers to U.S. Latinos is Hispanic Americans.
The Hispanic Americans heading can be further subdivided by topical sub-headings, such as:
- Hispanic Americans --Social Conditions
- Hispanic Americans --Politics and government
- Hispanic Americans --Ethnic identity
- Hispanic Americans --Economic conditions
- Hispanic Americans --Cultural assimilation
Use geographic sub-headings to help find books about Latinos in a specific region, such as:
- Hispanic Americans --Illinois --Chicago
- Hispanic Americans --Michigan
- Hispanic Americans --Ohio --Cleveland
You can also approach specific Latino ethnic groups, such as:
- Mexican Americans
- Cuban Americans
- Puerto Ricans
Or even Latin Americans living in the United States, such as:
- Latin Americans --United States
- Cubans --United States
- Mexicans --United States
Dictionaries. Encyclopedias & Biographies
Dictionaries provide definitions of terms, correct spellings and usage. They are a good source of keywords for searching.
Caló: A Dictionary of Spanish Barrio and Border Slang by Call Number: MAIN Reference 467.979 P769cISBN: 9781881523215New York : Junction Press, 2011.
Collins Spanish Unabridged DictionaryCall Number: MAIN Reference 463.21 C713ISBN: 9780061808258New York, NY : Collins, 2009.
Dictionary of Latin American Racial and Ethnic Terminology by Call Number: MAIN Reference 305.8003 S835d 1999ISBN: 081301705XGainesville : University Press of Florida, 1999.
Dictionary of Latino Civil Rights History by Call Number: MAIN Reference 323.1168 R788dISBN: 1558853472Houston, TX : Arte Público Press, 2006.
Also available online, click link above to access.
Dictionary of Race, Ethnicity and Culture by Call Number: MAIN Reference 305.8003 D554ISBN: 0761969004Thousand Oaks, CA : SAGE Publications, 2003.
Also available online, click link above to access.
Key Terms in Latino/a Cultural and Literary Studies by Call Number: MAIN Reference 973.0468 A421kISBN: 1405102500Malden, MA ; Oxford : Blackwell Publishers, 2007.
Encyclopedias provide background information on concepts, events, places and people. They are a good place to start exploring a potential research topic. These encyclopedias address issues in Latino studies and race relations.
- Latino American Experience This link opens in a new windowA full-text database focusing on the history and culture of Latinos living in the United States. Features more than 150 titles, 1500 images, hundreds of primary documents, Spanish-language content, a timeline, and 225 vetted Web sites.
Encyclopedia Latina : History, Culture, and Society in the United States by Call Number: MAIN Reference 973.0468 E56ISBN: 0717258157Danbury, CT : Grolier Academic Reference, 2005.
Encyclopedia of Latino Popular Culture by Call Number: MAIN Library 973.0468 E563ISBN: 0313322155Westport, CT : Greenwood Press, 2004.
Encyclopedia of Hispanic-American Literature by Call Number: MAIN Library 810.9868 R173eISBN: 0816060843New York : Facts On File, 2008.
Encyclopedia of Minorities in American Politics by Call Number: Oak Grove Library Center 305.80097 E562ISBN: 1573561290
Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Society by ISBN: 1412926947Los Angeles : SAGE Publications, 2008.
Available online. click link above to access.
Encyclopedia of Racism in the United States by ISBN: 0313326886Westport, CT : Greenwood Press, 2005.
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Latino Literature by ISBN: 0313339708Westport, CT : Greenwood Press, 2008.
Available online, click link above to access.
Hispanic American Religious Cultures by Call Number: MAIN Reference 200.8968 H673ISBN: 1598841394Santa Barbara, CA : ABC-CLIO, 2009.
Also available online, click link above to access.
Latinas in the United States: A Historic Encyclopedia by ISBN: 0253346800Bloomington, IN : Indiana University Press, 2006.
Available online, click link above to access..
Latino History and Culture : An Encyclopedia by ISBN: 0765680831Armonk, NY : Sharpe Reference, 2010.
Available online, click link above to access.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States by ISBN: 0195156005Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2005.
Available online, click link above to access.
Many additional resouces for finding biographies are available on the Online Reference Materials page.
- Gale in Context: Biography This link opens in a new windowGale In Context: Biography is an engaging online experience for those seeking contextual information on the world's most influential people. Biography merges Gale's authoritative reference content with periodicals and multimedia organized into a user-friendly portal experience while allowing users to search for people based on name, occupation, nationality, ethnicity, birth/death dates and places, or gender as well as keyword and full text.
Hispanics in Hollywood by Call Number: MAIN Reference 791.43089 R457h 2000ISBN: 1580650252Hollywood, CA : Lone Eagle Publishing, 2000.
Icons of Latino America: Latino Contributions to American Culture by ISBN: 1573567965Westport, CT : Greenwood Press, 2008.
Available online, click link above to access.
Latino and African American Athletes Today by Call Number: Oak Grove Library Center 796.0922 L357ISBN: 0313320489Westport, CT : Greenwood Press, 2004.
Also available online, click link above to access.
Latino and Latina Writers by Call Number: Oak Grove Library Center 810.9868 L357ISBN: 068431293XNew York : Charles Scribner's Sons, 2004.
Also available online, click link above to access.
Notable Latino Americans by Call Number: Oak Grove Library Center 920.00926 M511nISBN: 0313291055Westport, CT : Greenwood Press, 1997.
Also available online. click link above to access.
St. James Guide to Hispanic Artists by Call Number: Art Reference 704.0368 S774ISBN: 1558624708Detroit : St. James Press, 2002.
Can't Find It @NUL?
For materials that are not available via Northwestern, or books that are checked out by someone else, you can submit an interlibrary loan request to have a copy of the item sent here. Articles are sent in digital format and arrive more quickly than books, which are delivered by mail/delivery services; average time to receive a book request is 5-10 days.
If time is tight and you are willing to travel to another library in the Chicagoland area, take advantage of our Reciprocal Borrowing agreements with the University of Chicago, Loyola University of Chicago, and University of Illinois Chicago.
Feel free to suggest a purchase, too!