HUM 143: Introduction to Latin American/Latino Studies

Books convey in-depth information, increase your knowledge, and aid in the credibility of your writing. Sometimes students avoid books because they think they don't have time to read the whole thing. You probably don't need to read the whole book to use it!

• Review the table of contents, read the introduction, and go directly to the relevant chapters. 
• For eBooks, you can usually search within the texts using keywords to jump directly to sections that are relevant to your topic. 
• Use portions of books, and master the art of skimming, to pinpoint where exactly in the book you need to read deeply. 

Below you will find suggestions for finding both print and eBooks.

Searching the Library Catalog

The Library tool for finding books is called the "library catalog." Search the library catalog to identify books and e-books in the CCC Libraries. 

Steps for finding books using the library catalog - for print books in the campus libraries:

1. Keep your search simple. Enter basic terms for your topic. (example: energy drinks)
2. Evaluate your results list. Examine the titles of the books listed on the first page of your results. Try different search terms if you want different or additional results (for example, student loans vs. college costs). Please contact a librarian if you would like help with your search.
3. Click on the title of an item in the list to display more detailed information, sometimes including a summary and chapter titles.
4. If it is a print book, note at which campus it is located and copy the entire call number or use the "Send to Email" tool. You can use the "Request" tool to request that the book be held for you or delivered to a specific campus. 

Searching for Mesoamerican art books by subject

If you want to find a survey on geographical region or cultural group, you can search the library catalog by selecting the advanced search option. Once you have the advanced search screen in front of you, click on the dropdown box where you see the word keyword and select the "Subject" option.

Examples of possible subject headings include:

General Subject Headings:

• Art of [Place]
• Culture of [Place]
• History of [Place]
• [Place] -- Antiquities
• [Place] -- Civilization
• [Place] -- History

Examples of specific subject headings:

• Art of the Andes
• Culture of Mesoamerica
• History of the Caribbean
• Central America -- Antiquities
• South America -- Civilization
• Mexico -- History

Example of subject headings with art forms:

• Painting -- [Place]
• Sculpture -- [Place]
• Textiles -- [Place]
• Pottery -- [Place]
• Jewelry -- [Place]
• Architecture -- [Place]

Example of subject headings with cultural groups:

• Aztec art
• Inca culture
• Maya civilization
• Indigenous art of [Place]
• Pre-Columbian art
• Mesoamerican art
• Colonial art of [Place]

Example of subject headings with time periods:

• Art of the colonial period -- Peru
• Culture of the pre-Hispanic period -- [Place]
• History of the post-colonial period -- [Place]
• Mexico -- Civilization -- Aztec
• [Place] -- Civilization -- [Time Period]

Remember to use the "Subject" option in your advanced search to find these specific headings.