About this Reading Room | Hispanic Reading Room | Research Centers | Library of Congress (original) (raw)

Color photo of detail in fresco painting depicting interaction between European Friars and Indigenous peoples

"Candido Portinari mural" (Hispanic Reading Room mural by Candido Portinari,1941)

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Color photo of blue and white tiles from the Hispanic Reading Room

Talavera tiles in the Hispanic Reading Room

Sepia photo depicting large maguey plant in foreground and mountains in background

Color photograph of artist instructing crowd with posters and frescos in background

Workshop with Chicano muralist Mario Torero (Hispanic Reading Room, 2019)

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Color scan detail of manuscript with painting of mother and child above hand drawn figures carrying implements over shoulders

The Hispanic Reading Room is an important access point at the Library of Congress for researchers working on the Caribbean, Latin America, Spain and Portugal; the indigenous cultures of those areas; and peoples throughout the world historically influenced by Luso-Hispanic heritage, including the Latina/o/e/x community in the United States.

Staff in the Hispanic Reading Room recommend collection items in all formats from and about these regions in collaboration with colleagues throughout the General and Special Collections. This work has resulted in millions of physical and digital items cared for and served in nearly every reading room at the Library of Congress. While some items are accessible to the public digitally, many require research at the Library of Congress. Staff in the Hispanic Reading Room work with professors, students, writers, educators, librarians, researchers and creatives worldwide to facilitate access to collection items and research services through instructive reference, bibliographic outreach, curated recordings, podcasts and collaborative projects.

The Hispanic Reading Room was the first of the Area Studies reading rooms at the Library, founded in 1939 as a center for the pursuit of studies in Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American culture. The space is a creative tribute to Hispanic and Lusophone culture – with four tempera murals by Brazilian modernist Cândido Portinari, high vaulted ceilings, Talavera tiles from Puebla, Mexico, wood paneled alcoves, wrought iron accents, and nameplates celebrating select Luso-Hispanic literary greats. A steel canvas with a painted interpretation of Columbus’ coat of arms sits above the foundational stone dedicating this space as the Hispanic Foundation in the Library of Congress thanks in part to the vision of Archer M. Huntington, whose endowment continues to support the Hispanic Reading Room. This space welcomes the collaborative genius of researchers and creatives to engage with and share the Library’s collections in projects like the Handbook of Latin American Studies and the PALABRA Archive. Become a friend of the Hispanic Reading Room. (https://www.loc.gov/philanthropy/online-donation/fund select the Hispanic – Archer M. Huntington Society)

The PALABRA Archive The PALABRA Archive is a collection of original audio recordings of 20th and 21st century Luso-Hispanic poets and writers reading from their works. The majority of the recordings from this collection are in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, but the archive also includes sessions in Catalan, Basque, French, Dutch, Creole, and indigenous languages like Náhuatl, Zapotec, Quechua, and Aymara.

Jay I. Kislak Collection This donated collection from Jay I. Kislak includes archaeological artifacts, rare books, manuscripts, maps and graphic works of art, which survey the earliest history of the lands that would become known as the Americas. The collection is in English, with Spanish, Dutch, German, and indigenous languages such as Nahuatl, Ixil, K’iche (Quiché), and Q’eqchi’ (Kekchi).

Hans Peter Kraus Collection of Spanish American Documents, 1433 to 1877 This collection of Spanish American Documents, 1433-1877 addresses the history of the Spanish colonies in the Americas, chiefly Mexico, but also Peru, Guatemala, and New Granada (the present-day countries of Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela), and territories that became part of the United States, including California, Florida, and New Mexico.

Location

10 First St., SE
Thomas Jefferson Building, LJ 240
Washington, DC 20540-4810

Hours

Public Hours
Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Closed Saturdays, Sundays & Federal Holidays