Benson Latin American Collection
The Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection is one of the premier libraries in the world for Latin America and Latina/o Studies, proudly marking its centennial in 2021. In partnership with the Teresa Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies (LLILAS), the Benson is a global destination for research and study, with over a million volumes as well as a wealth of original manuscripts, photographs and various media related to Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean and Latina/Latino presence in the United States.
Our Collections
Bernal Díaz del Castillo
The purchase of a rare book—Historia verdadera de la conquista de Nueva España, by Bernal Días del Castillo—in a Mexico City book shop would lead to the establishment in 1921 of the Latin AmericanLibrary at The University of Texas at Austin.
Rare Books and Manuscripts
The Benson Latin American Collection Rare Books and Manuscripts Reading Room provides access to a wide range of primary sources from and about Latin America, U.S. Latinas/Latinos, and African diaspora.
Archival collection descriptions are available in Texas Archival Resources Online
Search for rare books in the Library Catalog
Contact Benson archivists: (512) 495-4578, email
Learn more
LLILAS Benson Digital Initiatives
LLILAS Benson Digital Initiatives encompass an array of digital collections, collaborations, and scholarly projects, documenting the heritage of Latin American, U.S. Latinx, African Diasporic, and Indigenous American communities.
Explore our digital collections and content guide
The Archive of the Indigenous Languages of Latin America (AILLA)
LLILAS Benson Digital Scholarship
Research Guides
Latin American Studies
Explore resources for general and archival research in Latin American Studies
Latin@ Studies
Explore some of the best resources for general and archival research on U.S. Latin@s
Services and FAQ
© The University of Texas at Austin 2021
