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. We proudly marked our centennial in 2021.
About the Benson
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.
News from the Benson
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April 26, 2023 Los del Valle Oral Histories Available through Collections Portal |
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March 22, 2023 ¡A Viva Voz! to Feature Chicana/Tejana Artist Santa Barraza |
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Jan. 31, 2023 Diversity Resident Explores the Chase Archive |
Our Collections

Featured Resource – Agrasánchez Collection of Mexican Cinema
For film lovers and researchers alike the Agrasánchez collection of Mexican cinema provides visual documentation of cine mexicano from the Golden Age (1930s-1960s) through the 1990s. The collection consists primarily of movie posters, lobby cards and still photographs, and greatly complements the research and audio visual collections available at the Benson Latin American Collection and through the wider UT Libraries digital film collections.

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

Latina/o Studies
Explore some of the best resources for general and archival research on U.S. Latinas/os.