Iberian Studies

The Iberian Studies collection covers primarily history and social sciences pertaining to the regions of the Iberian Peninsula, which includes Spain and Portugal.

We focus on history, anthropology, ethnography, folklore, archaeology, geography, travel and exploration, political science, economics, religion and sociology. Within these disciplines, particularly strong areas of the collection include Medieval, Renaissance and Golden Age Studies, history of colonization, the Spanish Civil War and its aftermath, women’s studies, and Christian-Jewish-Muslim relations.

Both published and unpublished materials are accessible in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and other languages of the Iberian Peninsula such as Catalan and Galician, as well as Arabic and Jewish languages. You can access items in many formats, including print, electronic, video, and microfilm. Several key Iberian Studies databases are available.

A noteworthy item is the Codex Vigilanus — a facsimile reproduction of the illuminated manuscript completed in the late 10th century at the monastery of San Martín de Albelda, Rioja, Spain, and now preserved in the Biblioteca del Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de el Escorial. The codex contains the first recorded instance of Arabic numerals in the West.

Important related collections 

Several collections intersect with Iberian Studies. These include the Joseph A. Labadie Collection, which contains archival materials related to the Spanish Civil War and the anarchist movement in Spain; Professor Edward Glaser’s collection of 16th and 17th century books, which cover historical and literary topics published primarily in Spain and Portugal; and the Romance Languages and Literatures collection.