Society for Latin American Studies

Records of the Latin American Group Committee (1962-1964) and of it successor The Society for Latin American Studies, comprising: minute books of the Latin American Group Committee of the SLAS 1964-1977 and of the AGMs of the SLAS 1973-1979; files and folders of minutes and agenda papers; papers relating to the annual conferences (including programmes); some papers on the constitution, membership and mailing lists and correspondence of the Honorary Secretaries etc. of the SLAS; copies of papers of the Co-ordinating Council of the Area Studies Association; other papers of the SLAS (and CCASA).

For further information about the Society, please consult their website (http://www.slas.org.uk). This website has links to related internet sites including thos of individual Centres and Institutes of Latin American Studies, ACLAIIR and CEISAL.

The Society for Latin American Studies (SLAS) originated as the Latin American Group, which first met in London in 1962 and in 1963 decided to form The Society for Latin American Studies. The Society was formally constituted in 1964.

The SLAS is now the principal association in the United Kingdom for those interested in the study of Latin American affairs, and its membership numbers over 400. The Society organises an annual conference in March/April and also sponsors other conferences and seminars. It is a member of the Consejo Europeo de Investigaciones Sociales de America Latina (CEISAL), an umbrella organisation of European associations and institutes involved in the study of Latin America, and is also represented on the Advisory Council on Latin American and Iberian Information Resources (ACLAIIR)'s Committee. PILAS (Postgraduates in Latin American Studies) have a representative on the SLAS Committee, organise an annual day-conference, have an email discussion group, and run their own PILAS Website.

The Latin American Group produced four issues of an Information Bulletin which, in September 1964, was succeeded by the Society for Latin American Studies Information Bulletin (Nos. 1-7, 1964-67). With No.8 (1967) the Society's Bulletin became entitled the Bulletin of the Society for Latin American Studies, the last issue, No.33, being produced in April 1981. The Bulletin was succeeded by the Bulletin of Latin American Research (vol.1, no.1, October 1981), which continues to be published. Society for Latin American Studies Information Bulletin, No.7, May 1967, was the first to include Proceedings of the Society's meetings. Bulletin Supplements were later produced (from March 1974 onwards) to publish summaries of papers presented at the Society's annual conferences. No.17 of the Bulletin (April 1973) includes a Cumulative Index to Nos. 1-15.

The Society currently issues both a Newsletter (first issue circulated on 13 Oct 1978) and the Bulletin of Latin American Research (vol.1 no.1, October 1981 - to date) to its members. The Bulletin of Latin American Research is the Society's professional journal, initially published twice each year (October and May) but nowadays published four times a year (January, April, July, and October).

• D782/1  Papers re formation of the Society, 1962-[?c.1964]
• D782/2  Constitution, 1976, 1983
• D782/3  Minutes of the AGMs, (etc.), 1973-79, 1989-93
• D782/4  Minutes of the Committee (etc.) 1962-97
• D782/5  Minutes, agenda papers, and correspondence of the Editorial Board, Bulletin of Latin American Research, (1981), 1984, 1994-97
• D782/6  Bulletin, and Bulletin Supplement 1964-81
• D782/7  Membership lists, etc., [? early 1970s] - 1985
• D782/8  Papers relating to the Society's annual conferences (including some AGM agenda papers and minutes), 1972-96
• D782/9  Correspondence and other papers of the Hon.Secretary (and of some other officers of the Society), 1964-97.
• D782/10  Papers relating to meetings of the Co-ordinating Council of Area Studies Associations (CCASA) and the Standing Conference of Directors of Centres and Institutes of Latin American Studies, (etc.), (1980)-1995.
• D782/11  Papers relating to meetings of the Standing Conference of National and University Libraries (SCONUL)'s Advisory Committee on Latin American Materials (ACOLAM), 1983-85.
• D782/12  Newsletter, [1978]-2001

Please phone (0151 794 2696) or email for an appointment; you may reserve material in advance.

For non University of Liverpool visitors, please bring some form of photo id (e.g. driving licence, travel pass, passport); Sydney Jones Library reception desk staff will issue you with a day pass.

Please note that some materials may be closed or have restricted access.

The records of the Society were deposited by the Society's former President, Professor Peter Beardsell, Department of Hispanic Studies, University of Hull, per the Institute of Latin American Studies, University of Liverpool, 16 March 1999. The records are those of various former Secretaries and, to a lesser degree, other officers of the Society. In January 2002, Dr. Rory Miller (Institute of Latin American Studies and School of History, University of Liverpool), a former Secretary, in addition generously deposited his collection of past Bulletins, Bulletin Supplements and Newsletters of the Society, and copies of Committee agenda papers, etc. (D782/4/9; D782/6, and D782/12).

For further information about the Society, please consult their website (http://www.slas.org.uk). This website has links to related internet sites including thos of individual Centres and Institutes of Latin American Studies, ACLAIIR and CEISAL.

The University of Liverpool's Sydney Jones Library holds a complete set of copies of the Bulletin of Latin American Research (vols.1-, Oct 1981-to date), ref. F.1401.B2; no copies of the Newsletter (which was to be issued termly); and only copies of nos. 6 and 7 of the Society's Information Bulletin (Nov 1966 and May 1967) and nos. 8-17 and 30 of the Society's Bulletin (Nov 1967-April 1973, and April 1979), ref. F.1401.B2.