Tertiary Sources
TERTIARY SOURCES DEFINED
Tertiary Sources are distillations and collections of primary and secondary sources. The information is compiled and digested into factual representation, so that it does not obviously reflect points of view, critiques or persuasions. Tertiary sources are typically the last to be published in the information cycle. Because it has been filtered through many reviewers, it tends to consist of highly reliable and accurate information, plus contain broad perspectives of topics.
Use tertiary sources for a general overview of your topic and for background information for your research.
EXAMPLES
General examples: Encyclopedias, directories, dictionaries, handbooks, guides, classification, chronology, and other fact books.
Repplinger, John. "Primary, Secondary, & Tertiary Sources:." Willamette University, 5 Apr. 2019,
libguides.willamette.edu/primary-sources. Accessed 15 Apr. 2019.
eBooks & Encyclopedias
Note: To access the resources below you need to sign-in with your Bigfoot username & password to use the databases.
Bigfoot Username:
your first name - first initial of last name - last 4 digits of your CTC@bigfoot.spokane.edu
ex. JohnD8539@bigfoot.spokane.edu
Need help? Call the CCS IT Student Helpdesk at 509-533-4357 or contact the library at 509-533-3834 /509-533-3805.
- Britannica Academic This link opens in a new windowComprehensive reference source including images, videos, articles from respected magazines an journals, and a guide to the best websites.
- EBSCO eBook Collection This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Approximately 150,000 eBook titles from across the disciplines, including reference works and scholarly monographs. - Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
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A collection of online specialized encyclopedias and eBooks on a variety of subjects
Print Reference
Reference sources
Reference items are usually distinguished by having an "R" or "REF" before the call number. Reference works are especially good for quick overviews of a topic such as one finds in an encyclopedia.
Items in a reference collection usually cannot be checked out, but you can make photocopies if you like.
The following reference books are in the SFCC library; you might want to look around the same call numbers in other libraries for similar kinds of books.
Recommended Reference Books
- Atlas and Survey of Latin American History
Non Fiction R 911.8 Larosa. Black & white maps, but good quality and current information.
- Dictionary of Afro-Latin American Civilization
Non Fiction R 980.003 N922D.
- Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture
Non Fiction R 980.003 Encyclo, 5 vol. <br />Spans the centuries from the earliest civilizations to the present. The region is broadly defined: South & Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the historical Spanish Main
- Handbook of South American Indians
Non Fiction R 980.1 St48. Old but still useful, with due caution.
- Historical Atlas of Central America
Atlas case R 911.728 Hall. Large format, lovely maps, diagrams, and substantive text as well.
- Mexico: an Encyclopedia of Contemporary Culture and History
Non Fiction R 972.082 Coerver 2004. An A-to-Z assessment of the events, developments, issues, and personalities that shaped 20th century Mexico. Entries touch on the economy, politics, art, and culture, with overviews of the history and current situation of each Mexi
- Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerican Cultures : the Civilizations of Mexico and Central America
Non Fiction R 972.01 Oxford, 3 vol. The first comprehensive and comparative reference source to chronicle Pre-Hispanic, Colonial, and modern Mesoamerica.Written for a wide audience, it is an invaluable reference for interested lay persons, students, teachers, and sch
- Reference Guide to Latin American History
Non Fiction R 980.002 Referen. Part I, a descriptive chronology of key event from pre-Columbian times to the present; Part II, a thematic survey of topics, tracing population expansion, legal/political development, economic change, social evolution, science and techn
Research Help
Contact Options
Our professional librarians are available to help you with using any of the library's electronic resources. Please contact us if you require assistance.
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Books for Check-out
Finding Books & Videos
The SFCC and SCC Libraries
SFCC and SCC share an online catalog. Most items at SCC can be requested for pickup at SFCC, usually in the next 3-5 days.
Here is a small selection of the books available at the SFCC and SCC libraries. These books are only a small sample; many more items on these and other relevant subjects are available at the library:
Many books are located in the 980 call number also Central America books often have a 972 call number.
Worldcat locates books throughout the world but they are not necessarily at our library. The good new is that you can request an *InterLibrary Loan and the SFCC Library will request the book from another library for you, free of charge. We can get ahold of most items but not all. Please note, it can take up to 10 days to get a physically item like a book or video mailed from another library.
Worldcat http://worldcat.org
Books may be borrowed from other libraries but you must allow time. Start your research early! Use Britannica bibliographies and book reviews to identify the most important titles for your research.
* InterLibrary Loan
Inter-library loan (ILL) is a service agreement in which participating libraries share items across the United States, such as books and articles. The SFCC Library borrows materials from other library collections for our students and the local community. In turn, the Spokane Falls Library loans items to other libraries.
Libraries lend materials and supply photocopies in accordance with national and international copyright laws.
Spokane Falls faculty, students and staff may use this service at no fee or cost.
History of mining in Latin America : from the colonial era to the present by Call Number: 333.8098 BROWN 2012ISBN: 9780826351067Publication Date: 2012"The first comprehensive treatment of the subject in decades, combines coverage of economic and technological topics with a compelling evocation of the social and cultural costs associated with five centuries of intense exploitation. Mining had profound consequences for the environment and for labor, as mine operators and refiners resorted to extreme forms of coercion to secure workers." Summary
History of Modern Latin America by Call Number: 980 MEADEISBN: 9781405120517Publication Date: 2009A History of Modern Latin America: 1800 to the Present examines the diverse and interlocking experiences of people of indigenous, African, and European backgrounds from the onset of independence until today.
Between Tyranny and Anarchy: a history of democracy in Latin America, 1800-2006 by Call Number: 320.98 DRAKEISBN: 9780804760010Publication Date: 2009"a historical evolution of democracy in Latin America ... Relevant theories of democratization both globally and for the region are presented fairly and then critiqued. The historical analysis is divided into key eras based on the dominant political reality of the time. Drake's key (although not original) finding is the strong historical legacy of democracy in Latin America, namely, that the countries in the region with prior experience of democracy, or even limited forms such as a constitutional oligarchy, were more likely to be (comparatively) democratic later on. The book is well written and rich in detail, and is recommended especially for political scientists needing historical background on Latin America and/or interested in the political development of the region." A. Siaroff University of Lethbridge Choice
Beyond Black and Red by Call Number: 305.8009 BEYONDISBN: 9780826324023Publication Date: 2005Beyond Black and Red is the first book to deal primarily and specifically with relations between Africans and native peoples in colonial Latin America. Matthew Restall has collected nine essays that represent contributions to the larger fields of colonial Latin American history, African diaspora studies, and ethnohistory. Among the subjects addressed are marriage and miscegenation, identity and nomenclature, cultural exchanges, labor, and cooperation in resisting colonialism versus collaboration. The authors examine core areas such as Mesoamerica, the Andes, and Brazil, and peripheral ones such as Florida, Colombia, and the Orinoco basin.
Black Mexico: race and society from colonial to modern times by Call Number: 972.0049 BLACKISBN: 9780826347015Publication Date: 2009-09-01
Bolivar: American Liberator by Call Number: 980.0209 BOLIVAR ARANA 2013ISBN: 9781439110195Publication Date: 2013Arana is an indefatigable researcher, a perceptive historian, and a luminous writer, as shown in her defining, exhilarating biography of the great South American liberator Simon Bolivar. A household name in the southern half of the Americas, Bolivar nevertheless is generally unknown to North Americans, beyond the simple, Oh, yeah, I've heard the name. The good of this meticulous new account of Bolivar's exciting, to say nothing of consequential, life and times is that such a robust, dynamic, and, more importantly, easily accessible narrative goes to great lengths to rectify the North American unfamiliarity with Bolivar. The liberation of the South American colonies from the rule of the mother country was an even more complex, fits-and-starts program than the severing of ties between Great Britain and its Atlantic-seaboard colonies, but Arana follows the war in all its steps forward and back, at the end of which one man would be credited for single-handedly conceiving, organizing, and leading the liberation of six nations. Her understanding of the man behind the fame and behind the hostility that enveloped him in his later years brings this biography to the heights of the art and craft of life-writing. For more about the preparation of this book, see the adjacent Story behind the Story. --Hooper, Brad c.2010 Booklist
Born in Blood and Fire: a concise history of Latin America by Call Number: ReserveISBN: 9780393911541Publication Date: 2011
Bound Lives: Africans, Indians, and the making of race in colonial Peru by Call Number: 305.80098 OTOOLEISBN: 9780822961932Publication Date: 2012Examines colonial notions of casta in the lives of coastal Andeans and African slaves along Peru's northern coast. Attending to both culture and economy in her analysis, O'Toole argues that casta was created "from below" as well as "from above."....O'Toole shows that not only did these groups interact with one another in important ways , but indigenous peoples sometimes manipulated Spaniards' negative views of African slaves when they petitioned the state.
Christianity in Latin America by Call Number: 278 GONZALE 2008ISBN: 9780521681926Publication Date: 2007"a very readable narrative history of Christianity in Latin America from the Spanish conquest to the present. C. R. Piar California State University, Long Beach Choice
Colombia: a concise contemporary history by Call Number: 986.1 LAROSA 2012ISBN: 9781442209350Publication Date: 2012Written by two leading historians, this book traces the history of Colombia thematically, covering the past two centuries. ...The authors depart from more standard approaches by presenting a history of political, social, and cultural accomplishments within the context of Colombia's specific geographic and economic realities. Their emphasis on cultural development, international relations, and everyday life contrasts sharply with works that focus only on Colombia's violent past ....Instead, the authors emphasize Colombia's remarkable national cohesion and endurance since the early nineteenth-century wars for independence....[A] definitive interpretation of Colombia's past and present.
Course of Andean history, The by Call Number: 980 HENDERSO 2013ISBN: 9780826353368A student-friendly text that tells the story of the development of the Andean republics and their people by emphasizing the themes of continuity and change over time. Henderson presents a succinct, narrative approach to Andean history that limits details about political coups and instead focuses on broader comparative social and culture aspects.
Empire's Workshopz: Latin America, the United States, and the rise of the new imperialism by Call Number: 325.3209 GRANDINISBN: 9780805077384Publication Date: 2006Grandin argues that U.S.-Latin American relations, from the administration of Thomas Jefferson up to the present Bush presidency, should be seen as sure indication the U.S. has always harbored imperial intentions. Our interventions in Latin America, both military and economic, have gone on repeatedly over the decades and reveal that the current administration's foreign policy, built on the concept of using military action to spread and establish our ideals, is nothing new; it's been practiced in Latin America again and again. Contentious, certainly, but well presented. --Brad Hooper c.2006 Booklist
For Every Indio Who Falls : a history of Maya activism in Guatemala, 1960-1990 by Call Number: 972.8105 KONEFALISBN: 0826348653Publication Date: 2010In 1978, a Maya community queen stood on a stage to protest a massacre of indigenous campesinos at the hands of the Guatemalan state. She spoke graphically to the dead and to the living alike: "Brothers of Panzós, your blood is in our throats!" Given the context, her message might come as a surprise.
Independence in Latin America: A Comparative Approach by Call Number: SFCC Reserves--located at the Circulation Desk / HIST 230 - YOUMANSISBN: 9780070240087Publication Date: 1994Recommended! 3 Day Check-out.
This brief text outlines the complex processes through which Latin America became independent of Spain and Portugal in the first quarter of the nineteenth century. Syndetics.com
Indians and Mestizos in the Lettered City by Call Number: 985.01 DUENASISBN: 9781607320180Publication Date: 2010"Duenas's lettered city is not a passive and receptive, second-class early modern metropolis where an elite class used their power to define and control the colonial terms justifying the Spanish empire's rule. Instead, the author argues that collective efforts of informal networks among the local native and mestizo Andean elites created a new peripheral sphere of expression on both sides of the Atlantic, in Peru and in Spain. "
Latin American Posters by Call Number: 324.73 LATINISBN: 9780890134924Publication Date: 2006Illustrated with 100+ political posters made between 1960 and 1990, this book documents the sociopolitical history of Latin America during a period of intense radicalism and upheaval. Essays by leading Latin American scholars discuss how these icons of popular struggle united the masses and influenced political and social reform.
Learning Democracy: citizen engagement and electoral choice in Nicaragua, 1990-2001 by Call Number: 324.9728 ANDERSOISBN: 0226019713Publication Date: 2005-05-09
Mexico in World History by Call Number: 972 BEEZLEYISBN: 9780195153811Publication Date: 2011z'A concise overview of Mexican history from pre-Columbian civilizations to the present, primarily focusing on the 19th and 20th centuries. His intention is to provide readers with an introduction to the broad themes and dramatic events of Mexican history in order to provide a better understanding of the current issues facing Mexico today." C. L. Sinclair ChoiceModern Latin America by
Call Number: 980.03 DAWSONISBN: 0415991951Publication Date: 2010Latin America since Independencebegins with the assumption that our efforts to imagine a common past for nearly thirty countries are deeply problematic. Without losing sight of chronology or regional trends, this text offers glimpses of the Latin American past through eleven carefully selected stories. Each chapter introduces students to a specific historical issue, which in turn raises questions about the history of the Americas as a whole. Key themes include: Race and Citizenship Inequality and Economic Development Politics and Rights Social and Cultural Movements Globalization Violence and Civil Society The short, thematic chapters are bolstered by the inclusion of relevant primary documents “ many translated for the first time “ including advertisements and posters, song lyrics, political speeches, government documents, and more. Each chapter also includes timelines highlighting important dates and suggestions for further reading.
New Worlds by Call Number: 278 LYNCH 2012ISBN: 9780300166804Publication Date: 2012-06-26" A comprehensive yet easily readable institutional and intellectual history of the Catholic Church in Latin America." B. R. Larkin St. John's University Choice.
Race and the Chilean miracle : neoliberalism, democracy, and indigenous rights by Call Number: 323.1198 RICHARDS 2013ISBN: 9780822962373Richards reveals that beneath claims of economic reforms in Chile that have set the stage for a peaceful transition to democracy, individual liberty, and recognition of diversity, lies social conflict and inequity for Chile's indigenous Mapuche people.
Roots of Brazil by Call Number: 981 HOLANDA 2012ISBN: 9780268026134Publication Date: 2012Considered by most historians to be one of three foundational books in Brazilian historiography, this first English translation of Raizes do Brasil will be important to the study of Brazilian history. Holanda, a history professor at the University of Sao Paulo, was important in the evolution of the historiography of Brazil until his death in 1982. Published in 1936, Raizes do Brasil, Holanda's first book, was a search for a Brazilian national identity. The author examined Brazil's colonial formation and identified foundational features and characteristics that made Brazil different from other countries. Holanda characterized the Brazilian as a "cordial man," warm and generous, strongly affected by emotions, subjectivity, and the heart as opposed to the rational. Brazilians were the opposite of North Americans because of their insistence on mixing public and private matters, which was characterized as patrimonialism. Holanda believed these characteristics were a barrier to the creation of a modern society. His book continues to be important because it influenced the development of a specific line of thought in Brazilian historiography, which continues to the present. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates and above. M. L. Grover Brigham Young University
Cambridge History of Latin America. Volume 1: Colonial Latin America by Call Number: eBookISBN: 9780521232234Publication Date: 1984-12-06"...the essential reference and review work in Latin American history." - American Historical Review
History of Latin America: collision of cultures by Call Number: 980 EAKINISBN: 1403980810Publication Date: 2007
Mapuche in modern Chile : a cultural historyCall Number: SFCC Non-Fiction : 305.8987 CROW 2013ISBN: 9780813044286The Mapuche are the most numerous, most vocal and most politically involved indigenous people in modern Chile. Their ongoing struggles against oppression have led to increasing national and international visibility. Presenting the Mapuche as more than mere victims, this book seeks to better understand the lived experiences of Mapuche people in all their diversity and provides fresh information and perspectives that will change how we view indigenous-state relations in Chile.
Paraguay Reader by Call Number: 989.2 PARAGUAY 2013ISBN: 9780822352495The Paraguay Reader is a lively compilation of testimonies, journalism, scholarship, political tracts, literature, and illustrations, including maps, photographs, paintings, drawings, and advertisements. Taken together, the anthology's many selections convey the country's extraordinarily rich history and cultural heritage, as well as the realities of its struggles against under-development, foreign intervention, poverty, inequality, and authoritarianism.
Transnational conflicts : Central America, social change, and globalization by Call Number: 303.4409 ROBINSONISBN: 1859844391Publication Date: 2003Somewhat repetitive of the theme that globalization is transforming the state system we know, this is a timely and important book for most social science and IR scholars and policy makers to ponder. --W. M. Will University of Tulsa Choice
