How to Use the Archives
How can I find out what archival collections the library has?
- Archival collections are also cataloged through the UCLA Library; however if you want to look at the finding aid for a collection at the Chicano Studies Research Center Library, check out the Online Archives of California (OAC). The OAC provides "free public access to detailed descriptions of primary resource collections maintained by more than 200 contributing institutions including libraries, special collections, archives, historical societies, and museums throughout California and collections maintained by the 10 University of California (UC) campuses." That means you will not only find information about collections we have, but also collections other affiliated institutions might have regarding your research topic. See a full list of the finding aids available for collections at the Chicano Studies Research Center Library.
What is a finding aid?
- "Finding aids, also known as finding guides, registers, or inventories, are tools created by archivist to help you navigate archival and manuscript collections. A finding aid describes and details the organization and contents of a collection." -SDSU Library, definition from their helpful tutorial
Can I come to the library and see the archives right away?
- No. All of our archival collections are stored off site at the Southern Regional Library Facility.
How do I make an archival request?
- Please fill out an Archival Research Application specifying what collections and boxes you would like to request. It can take 24–48 hours for materials to arrive at the library, but we will send you a confirmation email when your materials arrive and you can come view the materials. For assistance, please contact the CSRC Librarian.
Online Archive of California
The OAC is a free resource that offers access to more than 20,000 finding aids, or detailed descriptions of primary resource collections, from more than 200 institutions throughout California. The collections on OAC come from libraries, special collections, archives, historical societies and museums throughout California. This online resource can be used to browse, locate resources or view selected items digitally, with more than 220,000 digital images and documents available. Finding aids, also known as collection guides, allow you to understand the content of a collection and determine whether it is useful for your research needs. These guides also allow you to locate individual objects, learn background or historical information, how to view or access materials, know about copyright and permissions related to the collection, or how to contact a librarian or archivist at the institution. The OAC can be used to do keyword searches to locate any other materials that may be related to the 1993 hunger strike.
Chicana/o Studies Databases
- Chicano Database This link opens in a new window
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Bibliographic materials on Mexican-American topics 1967 to the present. Scope expanded in 1992 to include the broader Latinx experience, including Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and Central American immigrants. Includes the Spanish Speaking Mental Health Database. - Latino American Experience This link opens in a new window
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Focuses on the history and culture of Latinos living in the United States. Its content spans from the pre-Columbian indigenous civilizations of the Americas, through the Spanish and Mexican settlement of much of what is now the United States.
- Hispanic American Periodicals Index (HAPI) This link opens in a new window
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Indexes journal articles about Central and South America, Mexico, the Caribbean basin, the United States-Mexico border region, and Hispanics in the United States. Articles are drawn from more than 500 key social science and humanities journals. Produced by the UCLA Latin American Center. - Latino Literature: Poetry, Drama, and Fiction This link opens in a new window
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Plays, prose and poetry by Chicano, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican and other Latin writers working in the US. The vast majority of the materials are from the Chicano Renaissance to the present. About 30% of the database is previously unpublished or rare materials. - Ethnic NewsWatch This link opens in a new window
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Complete text of articles from 1959 to the present from publications of the ethnic, minority, and native press. Covers news, culture, and history, and is searchable in both English and Spanish.
- Arte Público Hispanic Historical Collection: Series 1 This link opens in a new window
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Content pertaining to US Hispanic history, literature, and culture from colonial times to 1960. Includes historical articles, books, broadsides, newspapers and pamphlets in both Spanish and English.
