University Libraries

By Scott N. West

As we approach the Sept. 15 start of Latinx Heritage Month, I started considering the resources available at Roesch Library to support that celebration.  At first, I considered looking at the total number of resources available on this topic, but we have so many that a blog would not do it justice. We have books, databases, films and journals that all fall into this category.  

I decided to showcase two collections that represent the most current and accessible materials as well as perhaps the most obscure: leisure reading and government documents.

Leisure reading: Poetry, Memoir, YA and more

In the first instance, you can find popular books in the leisure reading collection, which includes graphic novels, poetry, young adult titles, popular fiction, and nonfiction options such as memoir and history. Some recommendations:

• America, Volume 1: The Life and Times of America Chavez by Gabby Rivera
• America, Volume 2: Fast & Fuertona by Gabby Rivera
• Be With by Forrest Gander
• Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
• Dominicana by Angie Cruz
• How Does It Feel to Be Unwanted? Stories of Resistance and Resilience from Mexicans Living in the United States by Eileen Truax
• Infinite Country by Patricia Engel
• Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
• Ordinary Girls: A Memoir by Jaquira Diaz
• Silver, Sword, and Stone: Three Crucibles in the Latin American Story by Marie Arana

Government documents: Hidden treasures

Roesch Library has been a Federal Depository Library for over 50 years. While this collection is often missed by students and researchers, it provides an extraordinary amount of information published by the United States government — the largest publisher in the world.  The resources below are from our print collection, but the scope of materials grows exponentially when you consider online access points.

Materials come from the Smithsonian Institution, the National Park Service, the U.S. Census, and Cabinet departments like Commerce, Education, and Health and Human Services. It also has congressional hearings from every committee in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Some recent highlights:

• An Act to Award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th Infantry Regiment, Known as the Borinqueneers
• American Latinos and the Making of the United States: A Theme Study
• Biological Anthropology of Latin America: Historical Development and Recent Advances 
• Comparative Colonialism, the Spanish Black Legend and Spain's Legacy in the United States: Perspectives on American Latino Heritage and Our National Story
• Expanding Opportunities for Graduate Study at Hispanic Serving Institutions: Field Hearing before the Subcommittee on Select Education of the Committee on Education and the Workforce
• From Risk to Opportunity: Fulfilling the Educational Needs of Hispanic Americans in the 21st Century
• The Girl that I Am (La Niña Que Soy)
  Hispanics-Latinos: Diverse People in a Multicultural Society
• Library of Congress Hispanic and Portuguese Collections: An Illustrated Guide
• We the People: Hispanics in the United States

The University Libraries — Roesch Library, the Marian Library, and the University Archives and Special Collections — have collections of materials on just about any topic pertaining to the people and expertise at the University of Dayton. To explore the resources above and others, browse the Libraries catalog or stop in to work with the helpful library faculty, staff and students.

— Scott N. West is a collections specialist in the University Libraries.

See the Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center's Latinx Heritage Month list of events.